The Snow Queen's Daughter
by all4jesus84
Summary: 15-year-old Casey was taken in by Regina after the curse, but memories of her orphaned life in the Enchanted Forest continue to plague her. When the Snow Queen arrives in Storybrooke, Casey begins seeing visions, ones that will lead her directly to the Snow Queen's lair. What truth could this villain hold that will change Casey's life forever?
1. Chapter 1

**One**

Glimmers of some distant memory scattered across Casey's fogged mind as she listened to the squabble around her. This was the first she was hearing of the "Snow Queen", as Storybrooke's finest had labelled her. Now, the whole town was panicking because of the giant wall of snow that had them all trapped. Well, not like that was really new; wasn't that what the first curse had done?

Mind you, nobody knew they were trapped at the time; that was the whole point of the curse. Still, everyone was still harboring some resentment over the last curse; it only made sense they would blame Regina for this one too.

But 15-year-old Casey knew it wasn't her doing, and thankfully, Emma had her back on that. Regina had changed, at least for the most part. Sure, she'd been bitter since Marion time travelled back with Emma and Hook, but Casey could still see the gleam of goodness in Regina's eyes. Maybe Casey was biased, though. For reasons she'd never been sure of, Regina had taken her in. Casey, an orphan for as long as she could remember, had been raised in a run-down orphanage in the Enchanted Forest, at least until Regina cast the curse. In Storybrooke, Casey was the mayor's adopted daughter, though Casey wasn't sure if that was really official. She was 12 when the curse was cast, and 12 when the mayor brought her home.

Motives were always unclear, but Casey never bothered to ask Regina what she was thinking, taking her in after the curse. Maybe that was why she was so biased. In her mind, it didn't really matter why Regina decided to keep her nearby. All Casey cared about was that somebody wanted her around. She didn't have to be alone.

Didn't everyone need somebody to love them?

Sure, love was always a strange concept when dealing with the Evil Queen of the Enchanted Forest, and yeah, that first year was a trainwreck, but Regina's heart had somehow opened to Casey, and Henry too, her adopted brother, who turned out to be Emma's son, and what a mess that had been.

Never a dull moment in Storybrooke.

Actually, Casey hadn't even seen Regina really since Marion showed up. Regina said she needed time, so Casey and Henry were bunking at Snow's loft with Emma, David, Henry, and this new girl, Elsa, who'd just shown up in Storybrooke. Casey guessed Regina needed to deal with the pain of losing Robin Hood, but Casey had to admit, she wished Regina hadn't decided to forget she had two kids who maybe needed her.

Anyway, Regina was somewhat far from her mind during the meeting Snow had called on behalf of Storybrooke, given that she was the new mayor and all. It was weird; all this talk about a Snow Queen sent Casey's mind reeling. It was almost like she could form a picture in her mind of this villain, even though she'd never even seen her. Nobody even described her so what was that about? It wasn't as though Casey had a wild imagination or anything. Why all these flashes?

Flashes that kept growing stronger, even after she left the meeting. Now, as she was sitting across from Henry while they ate lunch at Granny's, the flashes of the Snow Queen grew clearer and clearer. She could see her now, clear as day, with her blonde hair, pale blue eyes and a dress as sharp as ice. It made no sense; how could she possibly know what this woman looked like?

"Casey, you okay?" Henry asked, luring Casey back to reality. Casey blinked, zeroing in on Henry. He knew something was up, it was just the kind of relationship they had. It was weird; she may have been three years older than he was, but he was her closest friend. She could tell him anything. They'd both been through a lot: they'd both been abandoned as babies, and both of them had lived with the Evil Queen and both had been there when Henry's real mother broke the curse. Life had certainly thrown the two some odd curveballs.

But at least Henry's real mother had come back. Casey didn't know anything about her birth parents, and apparently, neither did Regina.

"Yeah I'm fine," Casey said, shaking her head. "I just can't stop thinking about the Snow Queen."

"I know, I'm kind of freaked out by it all too," Henry admitted.

"No, it's not like that. I mean, yeah, I guess I'm freaked out. She does sound dangerous, but...I don't know, it's like...it's like I can _see_ her."

Henry puckered his brow. "What do you mean?"

"In my mind. I know it sounds crazy, but it's like...well it's almost like a memory." Casey rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Henry smiled. "You do know where we live, right? I don't think you're crazy; maybe it means something."

"Maybe what means something?" Casey jumped when Emma dropped into the booth with the two and stared inquisitively at both of them. "What's going on, Casey? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Mom, Casey was just telling me about-"

"Nothing!" Casey spat, grabbing her knapsack and scooting out of the booth. "It's nothing! Henry, you don't have to blab to everyone about everything!"

And with that, she darted out of the diner.

Well what was _that_ all about?

It wasn't like she didn't trust Emma. She was the savior, wasn't she? She had powers, she'd been prophesied to save Storybrooke, and she did on more than one occasion, so why wouldn't Casey trust her with something like this? What was with her defensiveness, and what was with her screaming at her brother like that?

It was almost as though something didn't want her to.

 _Or someone._

Turning the corner, she felt a sharp pain in her head that drove her to her knees, and that was when a flash hit her hard.

One image after the other.

The opening of a cave in the middle of the woods...icicles...that familiar white dress...pale blue eyes...long fingers hanging over the side of a cradle, Casey reaching up to take them...a memory of a smile, a soft voice speaking over her...white, everything white...cool arms around her...safe...loud noises...darkness...that cave again...HER!

Casey's eyes popped open and she gasped. She realized she was still on her knees behind Granny's, trembling from head to toe. _What...just...happened?_

That cave on the edge of town in the middle of the woods, that was where the Snow Queen was. Casey _saw_ her there. How, she didn't know, but she knew she should tell somebody. Emma, Snow or even Regina if she could ever find her.

But Casey couldn't bring herself to do it, because she wanted answers. Why all these scattered flashes of the Snow Queen? How could she see where she was? And what was that memory of the Snow Queen's fingers draped over a cradle, a smile that didn't seem to suit a villain? Why would Casey, of all people, have these visions?

Did the Snow Queen know her? Was she somehow sending these images to throw Casey off, or use her somehow?

Casey didn't know, but she was going to find out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

First, she stopped at the sheriff's station, making sure to apologize to Emma for storming out like she did back at Granny's, gaining Emma's trust back just long enough to swipe a gun while she'd run off to the washroom. No, Casey didn't know how to use a gun, but if she was going to waltz up to the Snow Queen's hideout, she needed to be safe.

What was she thinking anyway? Why didn't she just tell Emma, or Regina, or even Elsa, just so she'd have someone along for protection? They all had magic, Casey didn't. How was she supposed to be any sort of match against a woman Storybrooke had deemed a villain? A gun was probably no match against a Snow Queen with magical ice powers, but Casey tried not to think about it. All she cared about were these strange flashes that felt dangerously close to a memory. Why would the Snow Queen target her with all those nonsensical flashes?

 _If Regina knew I was doing this, she'd kill me…_

Well, no turning back now; Casey was already to the town limits, hiking through the woods.

Whatever these flashes were, they were leading her straight to the Snow Queen's lair, that much she knew. No, she wasn't sure she could trust these flashes; for all she knew, she was being lured into a trap. Or maybe this was all psychological; her mind creating images based on what she'd been hearing from everyone else. Didn't they say they first confronted the Snow Queen in the forest? Maybe Casey had just formed some kind of a hypothesis based on that.

 _Then why does it feel so…alive?_

A chill snaked down her spine as she verged deeper into the woods. Was it nerves, or was it because she was nearing the Snow Queen? She didn't know, but shaking, she yanked the gun out from her pants, held it up. The thing was, she wouldn't be able to shoot anybody. She didn't even know how to use it! Something about a safety you had to click off before you could do anything, and Casey didn't know where that was. But at least she had an element of a threat; she couldn't exactly appear helpless, if this queen was really dangerous.

The air was getting colder and before she knew it, Casey was on ice. A blast of mist escaped her lips and she knew she had to be close. She shivered; why hadn't she brought a jacket? Did she think the Snow Queen's lair would be hot? She was going to freeze to death out here. Soon, she could barely hold the gun up, her fingers were so cold.

 _Idiot!_

And then, she saw it. The same cave opening she'd seen earlier. Exactly like she'd seen it in her mind. Casey could only stare at it, numb. How…how could she have known? All those details: the pine tree beside the opening with just a touch of snow on its branches, the dainty footprints in the snow surrounding the cave, even the red cardinal singing from the highest pine branch. How could Casey have seen all of this, when she'd never been here? How-

"You're a long way from home, little girl."

Casey gasped and whirled around, holding her gun up with shaking, blue fingers. Awestruck, she could only stare with wide eyes. There she was, the Snow Queen, the woman Casey had heard so much about but never laid eyes on. And yet, she was familiar, exactly as she had looked in Casey's mind, down to the finest detail on her dress. Casey swallowed, as the Queen's piercing blue eyes gazed upon her.

"W-what…" Casey was shivering so hard now, it was hard to form words. "W-Who are you?"

The Snow Queen smiled, _smiled_ as she took a step toward Casey. Casey backed up a step and held the gun higher. There was no fear in the Snow Queen's eyes, and that made Casey nervous. It was like she knew Casey wouldn't fire the gun.

Or maybe…a bullet couldn't hurt her….

"I would think by now all of Storybrooke is talking about me. Haven't you heard of me, my dear?" the Snow Queen practically cooed, her face a solid rock of no emotion.

"T-that's not what I…" Casey swallowed. How much could she give away? Did the Snow Queen know about these flashes in Casey's head? Had she put them there? Or was it the only advantage Casey had?

She didn't know, and that scared her.

"I know, that's not what you meant, is it?" The Snow Queen stepped forward again. Casey raised her gun, shaking hard. The Snow Queen only shook her head.

"Oh come now, you and I both know you won't be needing that." With a swipe of the Snow Queen's hand, an icy blast knocked the gun from Casey's hands and turned to ice before it hit the ground. Casey's heart leapt into her throat.

The Snow Queen was approaching, eyes dead set on Casey. Casey stumbled backward and slipped on a patch of ice, crashing hard to her knees. Before she could pick herself up, the Snow Queen waved her hand again, and ice-cold chains appeared around Casey's wrists, holding her down.

Casey's fear got the better of her. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll leave, I won't t-tell anyone I was here, just let me go."

But the Snow Queen was having none of it. She simply stopped, inches away from where Casey was bound, and kneeled down in front of her.

"Now, I simply can't do that." The Snow Queen spoke softly. "Not until you tell me why you came here."

The chains burned against her skin, cold as ice. "P-please, it's s-so cold."

"Oh sweetheart," the Snow Queen mocked. "You really should have thought about that before you came looking for me. Now then, tell me why you came here, and maybe I'll consider letting you go."

Casey swallowed hard, her lips trembling from the cold. Her head was swimming and she could barely concentrate with this frigid air slowing her heart-rate.

But the Snow Queen just watched her with unrelenting eyes. Casey knew she had no choice; she'd have to say something.

"I s-saw you here," Casey said quietly, every word an effort now that the cold was settling upon her more with every passing second. "I s-saw you, and your c-cave, and o-other things, s-so I-"

"Where did you see these things?" The Snow Queen collected Casey's chin in her hand, lifting her face so they were eye to eye. A gasp erupted from Casey's mouth – another flash…those same long cool fingers hanging over the cradle…the ones on her face now. It was her…

"Where?" The Snow Queen's voice rose an octave as she squeezed Casey's chin. She met the Snow Queen's eyes.

"In…in my mind," she admitted. "I d-don't know how, I just…knew. I c-could see it…"

Casey, even with her body starting to shut down, noticed the Snow Queen's demeanor change entirely. Her cold numbness was replaced with curiosity. The Snow Queen couldn't have planted those images in her head; they were news to her. So, what did that mean?

"Tell me what else you're seeing," the Snow Queen demanded, drawing closer. "You said there were other things."

"I-I-I-" Casey's breath caught in her throat; it was so cold, and she could feel herself slipping from consciousness.

"Casey! You out here?"

A voice. Not the Snow Queen's. Casey lifted her head long enough to see the Snow Queen turn toward the sound of the voice. Emma, it was Emma. She must have noticed the gun was missing and had put two and two together. Now, she was looking for her.

"Em...Emma," Casey tried to shout for help, but her voice felt frozen too. It didn't matter anyway, because the Snow Queen was a step ahead of her. She sidled in behind Casey, knelt down and pressed her hand over Casey's mouth.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I'm not quite ready to say goodbye yet." Casey felt the Snow Queen's hand gently touch the top of her head, and that was the last thing she remembered, because she quickly fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

Casey's eyes fluttered slowly as consciousness returned to her. Everything was a blur, but as her surroundings came into focus, she realized she was no longer in the forest, and she was no longer chained. Her muscles felt tight, sore to the touch, but she managed to force herself to her knees and take a look around. She was inside what seemed to be an ice palace. Everything was ice, from the walls, to the floor, to the furniture scattered around. And there, in the center of it all, was the Snow Queen.

"Now, this is cozier, isn't it?" The Snow Queen faked a smile. "Now we can talk in private, without your little friends interfering."

"What...what did you do to me?" Casey touched her head, still feeling the effects of sleep on her body.

"I just helped you to sleep. I couldn't have you shouting and struggling the whole way." The Snow Queen smiled. "Don't worry, you were only asleep for minutes."

"It's r-really c-cold," Casey murmured. Well, so much for being brave. It was true that she was completely helpless under the Snow Queen's power, but did she have to come across so vulnerable?

But she could feel the cold slowing down her heart rate, and she knew if she stayed this cold for much longer, something bad would happen.

"Well, why don't I fix that for you?" With another wave of the Snow Queen's hand, a wooly blanket flew from somewhere across the room into the Snow Queen's hands. She strode over to where Casey was curled up on the ice floor, knelt next to her, and draped the blanket around her, gently.

"We wouldn't want you to catch your death of cold, now would we?" There was that smile again, the one Casey couldn't puzzle out. As Casey felt the heavy warmth of the blanket settle upon her, her mind cleared and she wondered to herself why the sudden change in the Snow Queen's attitude. Moments ago, she had callously looked on while Casey froze to death while chained down, and now she was giving her a blanket?

"You're no good to me dead. The cold doesn't bother me, but if I'm going to get any answers out of you, I can't have you freezing to death," the Snow Queen said, almost like she could read Casey's mind. Casey swallowed; so the blanket was only a means to an end, not a kind gesture. She should have known.

"Now, my sweet child," the Snow Queen knelt on the ice floor next to Casey. "You're going to tell me exactly what you saw in that little mind of yours. I need to figure out what kind of magic has lead you straight to me. You understand how it might be a problem, having someone, a child, able to anticipate my every move."

Casey's heart fluttered; the Snow Queen saw her as a threat. She'd seen enough movies: bad guys _killed_ threats.

"M-maybe it's nothing. Maybe I'm just…you know, crazy," Casey tried.

"Oh trust me, darling, I've seen crazy." The Snow Queen tilted her head. "You don't need to be afraid, you know. I'm not going to hurt you."

Casey didn't believe her; moments ago, she'd bound Casey in ice chains, callous to her freezing to death right in front of her. How was Casey supposed to believe she was safe?

"Why don't you start from the beginning? Tell me everything you saw." The Snow Queen was so focused, so determined. Casey was terrified; if she told the Snow Queen everything she knew, wouldn't she just kill her when she'd finished? Then again, Emma was out there looking for her, and given that she was the Savior and all, it was only a matter of time before she barged into the cave, rescued Casey and defeated the Snow Queen, right?

Besides, Casey wanted answers too, and the Snow Queen might just have them, if she knew what was going on.

Casey closed her eyes, bringing the images back to her mind, and then she told her.

She told her about the cave, about her dress, about her eyes, the whiteness, the cradle, the fingers…

"What did you say?" the Snow Queen interrupted. Casey opened her eyes, met the queen's eyes.

"I…I don't know, I think it was a cradle or something. Maybe it was a cage, or a fence…"

"And you see me there?"

"Yeah, bent over the side."

"What makes you say it was a cradle?"

"Well," Casey thought about it. That part wasn't very clear, but what was clear was her own hand reaching up to take the Snow Queen's reached-out fingers. They were tiny hands, infant hands, but they were hers. This was crazy. "There was a baby, you know, inside, so I guessed it was a cradle. It's a little fuzzy."

The Snow Queen paused, wrinkled her brow, like she was suddenly worried about something. Casey wondered what it all meant, but before she could ask, the Snow Queen rose to her feet and turned to face a mirror in the middle of the room. "Describe the room."

"W-what room?"

"The room with the cradle."

Casey's heart skipped a beat. "I-I don't know. I told you, it's fuzzy, and-"

"I want you to close your eyes and let the image form in your mind." The Snow Queen turned and looked at her. She looked…sad? "Then describe the room for me."

What choice did she have? She was trapped here, at the Snow Queen's mercy and besides, she wanted answers, didn't she?

So Casey did as she was told. She closed her eyes and remembered the flash with the cradle, and with the Snow Queen bending over, taking her hand, smiling kindly. The Snow Queen's eyes were clear in the flash, the smile as real as if it were happening in real time. Why would Casey's mind make up such a strange image? And why was the Snow Queen so interested?

Casey kept her eyes closed and focused on everything over the Snow Queen's shoulder in her vision. It was all a blur, but as she focused her attention, everything slowly became clearer, but it was still…not clear enough to understand it.

"Well? What do you see?" the Snow Queen asked, gliding over to where Casey was still wrapped in a blanket.

Casey swallowed, shaking her head. "I-I don't know. It's still not really clear. I-"

Casey jumped back when the Snow Queen sank to her knees in front of her. "I'm going to need you to try harder than that."

Casey suddenly felt her heart in her throat. What if she couldn't do what the Snow Queen was asking? She seemed pretty desperate at this point and that made Casey nervous.

"I can't…I can't see anything else there." Casey tried to shift away from the Snow Queen, hoping to make a run for it, but the Snow Queen was one step ahead of her.

Like lightning, her hand sprang out and tightened around Casey's wrist. "I'm afraid you're going to have to try!"

A gasp erupted from Casey as another flash overtook her.

The room, clear as day, so clear Casey could make out every detail. The floors, the ornate designs carved into the walls, the high ceiling, the mobile dangling above her. And a sensation, an emotion was there too, pulling Casey in from every side. Safe…happy…loved.

And she was still there, the Snow Queen, leaning over the cradle, whispering softly with a wide smile. Casey couldn't make out the words, but everything else was crystal clear, like she was actually there. Like she'd seen it, for real.

Her eyes popped open and she sucked in a terrified breath. Where was she? Still on the floor in this ice palace. She hadn't gone anywhere, all of that had been in her mind? But it was so real, so vivid.

Casey blinked quickly and saw that the Snow Queen still hovering over her, her hand still tight around Casey's wrist. It was her touch, her touch had set it off.

Before the Snow Queen could ask, Casey spoke. "I saw it. I saw the room, the room with the cradle."

The queen looked nervous, glancing at her own hand, like she had just made the same connection. What was it about her touch that triggered that vision?

"Alright," the Snow Queen replied silently. "Describe it to me, every detail."

Casey sucked back a breath and spoke quickly, while it was all fresh in her mind. "The ceiling is really high, and there are pillars in every corner, white ones, with ivy wrapped around them. There's even a little rose wrapped in the ivy. There's a big chandelier in the middle of the room, with real crystals and made of gold. There's a big white doorway that leads out to a balcony – I can see out just a bit, there's a river and mountains off in the distance. The walls are wood on the top, with carvings of flowers, and the bottom part is red velvet." Casey opened her eyes and was taken aback when she saw the Snow Queen staring at her with wide eyes. Casey almost thought she saw a tear forming.

"Keep going," the Snow Queen whispered, her voice catching.

"Um, the cradle is white with gold, and there's a stuffed rabbit inside, a white one. The curtains are made of lace and the room kind of smells like…like spring. The carpet is really plush and really white, kind of like…snow." Casey did see it, a tear. Why would the Snow Queen be broken up over a make-believe room in Casey's head?

"What-"

"What color is the blanket, inside the cradle? Tell me about the blanket." The Snow Queen spoke so softly now, like she wasn't Storybrooke's villain who trapped them in their own town.

"H-how did you know about the blanket?" Casey asked, her voice trembling.

"Tell me!"

Casey startled, but it was weird. It wasn't like she was yelling because she was angry, or evil. She actually seemed _desperate._

"Red and pink. It's hand-made, with icicle drops embedded in." Casey puckered her brow. "Real icicles, but how-"

Then it hit her. "Was it real?"

The Snow Queen rose to her feet and turned away. "It's time you were on your way, child."

Casey rose to her feet when she noticed the Snow Queen's voice cracking again. She dropped the blanket to the ground as realization began to sweep over her, painfully, the truth of what this all meant.

"Y-you made that blanket, didn't you?" Casey asked, nearly in a whisper. It was all making sense now, a painful heart-ripping kind of sense. It explained the connection Casey had with the Snow Queen, the strange ability she had to see where she was, to have those flashes. They weren't visions, Casey couldn't ignore that anymore, they were _memories._ They had happened. It _was_ Casey in the cradle, and it _was_ the Snow Queen hovering over, cooing sweet words over her. It was real, all of it was real. How else could the Snow Queen have known about the blanket? Why else would she want to know the details of the room Casey so vividly remembered?

It was because the Snow Queen remembered it too. They were both there, once upon a time.

And if Casey was just a baby…

She swallowed, rocks forming in her stomach as every part of her body began to shake. No, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be real.

"Why did you know about the blanket?" Casey demanded to know. Deep down, she knew why, but she needed the Snow Queen to admit it, to come to the same conclusion Casey had. It wasn't real, no, not until the Snow Queen confirmed it.

And even then…

"You need to leave," the Snow Queen said, heading deeper into her palace.

Anger fueled Casey forward. She followed after the Snow Queen into the depths of the palace. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"

The Snow Queen whirled around fiercely and Casey stopped in her tracks, suddenly afraid. The Snow Queen looked angry, but tears were flowing down her cheeks.

"You were there too, weren't you?" Casey asked, her own voice cracking now. "I didn't make it up, because it's some kind of a memory. If I was the baby in the cradle, and you were there…that means…does that mean you're my-"

"I said, you need to leave!" The Snow Queen's voice trembled as she propelled her hands forward and an icy blast hit Casey at full impact. Her vision was suddenly clouded by a blizzard of snow, and she felt her feet lifted from the ground. Tendrils of icy cold snaked around her arms and ankles as she felt herself pulled away from the cave.

"No, wait!" Casey's voice was lost in the howling wind surrounding her. The gale force was so strong, she couldn't fight against it, no matter how hard she kicked or scrambled. The snowstorm around her grew fiercer and fiercer, driving her away, driving her farther from the truth. Then, it all became too much, too strong, too vicious, and everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

"Emma, she's waking up." A soft voice was the first thing Casey became aware of when she felt herself coming to. Her head throbbed, and she was freezing, like she'd just spent a night in a snowbank. Every muscle ached and she felt sick to her stomach. Still, she forced herself to open her eyes, squinting to bring everything into focus.

Snow was sitting right there, and beside her was David. Standing next to them was Emma and Elsa. Casey was back in Snow's loft, lying in her bed and wrapped tightly in warm blankets. How had she gotten here? What happened to the Snow Queen?

 _The Snow Queen…_

"You alright, kid?" Emma asked, reeling Casey out of her thoughts. Casey tried to sit up and Snow, like the mother hen she was, jumped up to help her.

"How did I get here?" Casey's voice was hoarse, and she leaned back against the headboard, feeling a little uncomfortable with the number of people surrounding her.

"Well, I found you out cold in the middle of the forest," Emma said, coldly and totally unimpressed.

"Emma," Snow warned. "Be nice."

"I am being nice, but I've got questions too." Emma stared hard at Casey. "You stole my gun, Casey, right from under my nose."

Snow gasped, genuinely shocked. "Casey, what on earth would you need a gun for?"

Before Casey could open her mouth, Emma took over.

"I can tell you what I think happened. You stole my gun and I tracked you to the forest, which incidentally happens to be where we last confronted the Snow Queen. I found you out cold with a cut on your head, and covered in snowflakes." Emma raised an eyebrow. "You went to the forest to find her, didn't you? Did you think you'd scare her away with my gun?"

"Emma, let's not forget how you found her. Maybe you ought to be asking what the Snow Queen did to her, see if she's okay," David piped up.

Casey felt her defenses rising – it wasn't any of their business why she went to the forest to confront the Snow Queen. They were the last people she wanted to tell, especially now. She had too much to think about, too much to try and understand. The last thing she needed was someone on her back for stealing a gun.

"Yeah, I stole your gun, Emma, okay? I'm sorry. I'll buy you a new one," Casey spat, crossing her arms.

"That's not the point! You're just a _kid and t_ he Snow Queen is dangerous! Do you have any idea how much worse this could have ended? She could have killed you!" Emma yelled.

"Well, she didn't," Casey whispered, remembering clearly the time she'd spent with the Snow Queen, and the truth that was still resting under an icy surface. The Snow Queen may not have confirmed anything, but her defensiveness, her tears, and her pushing Casey out told her enough. She'd been right, her suspicions were bang on.

And that scared her.

Before anyone else could rag on her, the door to the loft flew open and in stomped Regina, making a beeline toward the bed.

"I came over as soon as you called. What happened?" she asked, straight to the point.

 _Great, they called Regina,_ Casey thought.

"Regina, she's okay now," Emma started, stepping toward their guest. "When I first found her, she was-"

"I wasn't talking to you, Swan," Regina sneered, glaring at Emma with dagger eyes. "I was talking to my daughter."

 _I'm not your daughter,_ Casey thought, and was shocked she would even think that. Sure it was true, but she'd never spent a whole lot of time thinking about it. What had changed?

The Snow Queen, the cradle, the memory. That's what changed.

"Regina, Emma, this isn't the time to get into it. Not after what Casey's been through," David offered, rising.

"Well in case you've forgotten, I don't know what she's been through because nobody bothered to inform me of anything until she was found unconscious in the woods," Regina snapped.

"Regina, she's okay now," Snow offered.

"And I used my powers to check; the Snow Queen's magic didn't harm Casey in any way," Elsa added.

"The Snow Queen?" Regina asked, staring at Casey with wide eyes. "What did the Snow Queen do to you?"

"She won't tell us," Emma said, obviously frustrated.

"Then I need all of you to clear out so I can talk to my daughter, alone." Regina definitely had a knack for making her presence known and for taking over. Maybe that was part of what made her such a good mayor, or an excellent Evil Queen.

Casey sighed, the last thing she wanted was to be questioned by Regina.

But the other four got the message. Without a word, Snow, David, Elsa and Emma headed to the other end of the loft. When they were gone, Casey watched Regina's face soften. There it was, the reason why it had been easy for Henry and Casey to believe there was good in her, because they could see it, every time she looked at them.

"Emma said she found you in the forest, out cold." Regina sat on the bed. "Are you okay?"

Casey suddenly felt angry, though she couldn't exactly pinpoint the reason why.

"I'm fine. I don't remember blacking out."

"What happened? Did she, the Snow Queen, kidnap you?" Regina asked.

"No, why would you think that?" Okay, why in the world was Casey suddenly defending the Snow Queen?

"Perhaps because she's barricaded all of Storybrooke, froze Marion's heart and nearly killed a handful of times already?" Regina replied. "Why wouldn't I think that?"

"Well, she didn't kidnap me." That wasn't entirely true, was it? Technically, the Snow Queen did bring her to her palace by force...

"So how did you end up in the woods? And what is Elsa talking about, checking if the Snow Queen hurt you. Did you see her?" Regina asked.

"Yes." Casey kept her face stone. "I went looking for her."

Regina stared at her, incredulously.

"Don't worry. I brought a gun." Yeah, a whole lot of help that had been.

Regina blinked. "Okay, you're telling me you somehow managed to steal a gun-"

"Borrow-"

"Casey, I have a hard time believing anyone in this town would just give you a gun." Regina continued. "And you went to the woods, by yourself, to find the Snow Queen? First things first, why didn't you tell me what you were doing?"

"Well you haven't exactly been around much, have you?" Casey spat.

"That is no excuse. Despite everything else, I am your mother, and-"

"Regina, did you know who my mother was?" Casey knew it came out of nowhere, at least for Regina.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything related to-"

"Just tell me!"

"Mind your manners, young lady, remember who you're speaking to."

"It's her, isn't it?" Casey was afraid, afraid to say the words out loud, like saying them would bring it all to life. "The Snow Queen is my mother, isn't she?"

Casey watched very carefully to see how Regina would react. It would be a tell-tale sign as to whether or not Regina knew or not.

Casey read fear all over Regina's face. She knew it; Casey was right. The Snow Queen was her real mother, and Regina _knew_.

"Where did you hear that?" Regina asked through clenched teeth as her eyes glazed over.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Casey asked, ignoring Regina's question outright. "Please tell me. You knew, didn't you?" Casey softened. "I need to know the truth."

Great, now Casey could feel tears threatening. She'd always wondered who her parents were, the ones who had decided she wasn't good enough. The orphanage people back in the Enchanted Forest never knew anything, she'd just shown up on their doorstep one day. In Storybrooke, after the curse had been lifted, Casey asked Regina about her parents. Being the Evil Queen, she probably knew quite a bit about the people and the happenings of the Forest. But Regina always denied knowing anything, and Casey accepted it, but there was always a part of her that suspected she was not altogether being truthful.

"You knew all along, didn't you?" Casey whispered, her heart fluttering.

Regina shook her head. "No, Casey, I didn't know."

Casey's heart sank.

"But...I suspected."

Casey met Regina's eye, and saw that Regina was torn up over it.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked.

Regina drew in a breath. "You were found in a small basket in the middle of the forest. No note, no indication of who left you there, or why. There was nothing that gave anybody a lead, or a clue, but there was something, something ordinary people would miss, but not me."

Casey swallowed. She knew what she meant.

"Magic?"

Regina nodded. "I was the one who found you. There were traces of magic all over you, all...through you. It was easy to tell whoever had left you there was magical."

"Well...but what makes you think it was the Snow Queen? How do you know it wasn't Rumpelstiltskin, or Maleficent, or someone?" Casey wanted to know.

"Magic is like a fingerprint. Everyone's is unique. I'd had my dealings with those two and this...this definitely was not their magic. Besides, that wasn't all that was left."

"What do you mean?"

"The day you were found, it was snowing in the forest."

Casey puckered her brow. "What's so special about that?"

Regina met her eyes. "It was July."

So there it was. Casey's heart hammered in her chest. It was true, all of it. It was why she'd had the strange connection with the Snow Queen, the reason she'd seen where she lived, and why she had all those memories.

She was Casey's mother, the one who abandoned her at just 1 year old.

"Why...why didn't you tell me?" Casey asked, exhaustion settling upon her.

"Because it wouldn't have made any difference. She made her choice a long time ago. She didn't want you." Regina sighed. "I just didn't want you to be hurt."

Casey felt herself distancing. "But…she seemed shocked when I told her what I remembered."

Regina looked up, suddenly very interested. "You remembered something? How could you, you were found when you were a year old."

"I don't know, but I did. I remembered her. I didn't know it was a memory, not until I told her. I could see it in her eyes. She remembered too. Then...then she snowed me out. I think the memory upset her." She could see the Snow Queen in her mind; she was sitting on the icy floor, leaning against a wall, and she was sobbing. Casey didn't know if she was imagining it, or truly seeing it like she had before, but it was vivid enough to rock Casey.

"Regina," Casey squeaked, peeking up to meet Regina's eyes. "I know you took me in after the curse, and I may never understand why you would do it, but you did. And I know you love me, so please help me. I need to talk to the Snow Queen. I need to know the truth about what happened. I've always needed to know why my real parents would trash me, and...if the Snow Queen really is my mother, then I need her to say it. And I need her to tell me why."

Regina sighed; it was no secret she thought this was a bad idea, and Casey knew she had to feel a bit hurt by it. When Henry's real mom showed up, Regina was terrified of losing him. It was a little different with Casey, but Regina had to feel something.

"What makes you think the Snow Queen will listen to you? Didn't you say she snowed you out? Emma found you unconscious with a cut on your forehead. I'm not letting you go back there alone," Regina said.

"I know," Casey replied. "That's why I was hoping you'd go with me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

In the end, the whole ordeal took a lot of arguing and compromise. Regina fought tooth and nail, trying to convince Casey going back to the Snow Queen was a bad idea, but Casey wasn't budging, not when her whole life depended on it. In the end, and what seemed like hours later, Regina agreed to take Casey into the woods.

But not without help, and that was the hard part, because Regina never asked for help, not if she could help it. But in the end, even she had to admit that her power was no match against the Snow Queen, not alone. Casey knew if it was just Regina, she'd go anyway and run the risk of danger over admitting weakness, but she wasn't willing to do that with Casey's life at stake. With as much pride as she could muster, Regina asked Emma and Elsa to join them as backup. She didn't say why, which Casey was thankful for. She didn't need everyone to know this dark secret.

So the next morning, the four of them began the trek to the forest. Of course, Emma, being Emma, hounded her and Regina with questions.

"I'd be a much bigger help if I at least knew what the hell was going on," she'd complained.

"Casey needs to confront the Snow Queen, and we're going to let her," was all Regina would say on the matter. Well no wonder Emma was frustrated; what possible reason would Casey have to want to go after the Snow Queen after yesterday?

She didn't understand.

But Casey was as determined as she was nervous. The truth was just ahead, and even with everything she'd learned in the past 24 hours, there was a piece of her that wouldn't accept it, not until the Snow Queen said it, admitted it herself. One way or another, it would all be confirmed once she reached the Snow Queen's palace.

Unless the Queen became angry enough and killed them all.

What if the reason the Snow Queen abandoned her all those years ago was because she wanted to be rid of her forever? If that were the case, then what was to stop her from killing her today?

Casey didn't want to think about it.

"Casey, I need you to listen to me," Regina said as she sidled next to Casey on the trek up, far enough from Emma and Elsa to go unheard. "This could get very dangerous very fast. So I need you to be on guard, but I also need you to listen to every word I say. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to get behind us, you do it, no questions asked!"

Casey sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Regina grabbed Casey's arm and spun her so they were face to face. "I am dead serious here. Your emotions are running high and I can't have that getting in the way of keeping you safe."

"Safe from whom?" a calm voice interrupted. "Surely you don't mean me."

The Snow Queen emerged from behind a tree, as cool and collected as she'd appeared when Casey first met her only hours ago.

Instinctively, Regina pushed Casey behind her while Emma and Elsa ran to catch up. Casey couldn't peel her eyes away from the Snow Queen. It was weird; Casey didn't see a villain in front of her. After she'd seen all those tears shed yesterday, she had to believe there was some level of humanity to her. There was no sign of recognition in the Snow Queen's eyes now, but it wasn't just the two of them anymore.

"To what do I owe this pleasure? This is quite the gathering," the Snow Queen said, hands folded cordially.

"I think you know exactly why we're here," Regina sneered. "Casey came up here yesterday, and you and I both know why she did."

"Ah yes. Well, yesterday she was under the delusion that a gun would keep her safe." The Snow Queen's piercing blue eyes met Casey's. "Did you think these three would do a better job of protecting you from me?"

"Save it, we're not here to fight," Regina said, gently nudging Casey forward, yet still keeping a grip on her arm. "Casey only wants to talk to you."

"Well, if Casey wants to talk to me, she should have come alone. It's rude to eavesdrop," the Snow Queen replied.

"Well too bad, Dairy Queen, because we're not going anywhere," Emma piped up.

The Snow Queen smiled again. "That's not how this is going to work, ladies. You see, I'm very interested in Casey as well, but I believe conversations are to be had in private. You'll just have to sit this one out."

Before anyone could react, the Snow Queen lifted her hands and the ground trembled. Shooting up from the ground came shards of ice that blasted in all around them. Everyone was knocked down, and a large shard popped out of the ground next to Casey, tossing her away from the rest of the group.

"Casey!" Regina called. Casey landed hard on her side and quickly felt cold hands vice around her arm, yanking her to her feet.

The Snow Queen. Casey had been thrown right into the enemy's hands!


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

"Get your hands off her!" Emma cried as she came running. The Snow Queen swept her hand once again, and a tornado-like blizzard swept Emma, Elsa and Regina up in a snowy blast.

"Regina!" Casey screamed, struggling to escape the Snow Queen's grasp. All bets were off; whoever the Snow Queen was, she was dangerous, and now she had Casey.

"No need to waste your voice, little one," the Snow Queen said calmly as she pulled her along, away from the blizzard. "Your precious friends can't hear you anymore."

The Snow Queen's strong grip was no match for Casey, who fought hard to free herself as the Snow Queen led her deeper into the woods.

"Don't resist, sweetheart." The Snow Queen stopped long enough to glance at Casey. "Weren't you the one who wanted to talk?"

Casey couldn't find her tongue. Knowing the truth was one thing, but she couldn't reconcile it to this woman had just single-handedly ripped her away from the three most powerful women in Storybrooke. Truth or not, Casey was suddenly terrified for her life!

Before long, they reached the same cave Casey had come upon yesterday. The Snow Queen pulled Casey inside roughly, pushing her down on the floor, back against a wall. Casey quickly realized there was no way out but past the Snow Queen, and based on how intensely she was staring her down, Casey knew she wasn't going anywhere.

"W-what did you do to my friends?" Casey managed to ask.

"They're fine, if that's what you're wondering. The blizzard stopped as soon as I stepped into my palace." The Snow Queen tilted her head. "But I couldn't do what I needed to do with them around. They wouldn't have approved.

Casey's heart jumped into her throat. "What do you mean?"

The Snow Queen dropped to her knees and grabbed Casey's arm, pulling her close so they were nose to nose. "I need to find out exactly how you managed to get inside my head. You're going to tell me who you're working for, and how you're doing it."

Casey's heart was hammering. The Snow Queen believed Casey was, what, a spy? She didn't believe Casey was remembering anything, only reading her mind!

"I-I'm not-"

"Regina's using you, isn't she? Hm? Storybrooke wants to know all my secrets, so they cast a spell on a little girl to allow her to read my mind, is that it?"

"N-no, I had-"

"They didn't think I'd suspect anything like that, but they don't know who they're dealing with." The Snow Queen squeezed Casey's arm tighter. "Time to confess, sweetheart. My patience is wearing thin."

"It's not true. Nobody cast a spell on me. Regina didn't know anything about this," Casey said.

The Snow Queen let go of Casey's arm and shook her head. "If that's your answer, then I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to use more drastic measures to get you talking."

The Snow Queen grabbed Casey's hand in her hands and an icy chill touched her temples. Suddenly, it felt like her head would split open! Casey screamed as the searing pain crushed her from every side, threatening to overtake her.

"Stop it, stop it please!" Casey shrieked and seconds later, the Snow Queen drew her hands away, releasing Casey from the pain. Casey gasped and fell to her elbows, shaking.

"I'm very sorry to have had to resort to hurting you, but understand – I need you to tell me the truth," the Snow Queen said calmly, like she hadn't just tortured a 15-year-old girl.

Casey drew a breath. "I have told you the truth! Regina had nothing to do with any of this! I just saw you! I just knew! I can't explain it!"

The Snow Queen shook her head. "I don't enjoy having to do this." She reached out and collected Casey's head in her hands again and the same red-hot pain burst through her brain like a volcano erupting. Casey's screams were unheard as the pain grew stronger and stronger until finally, the Snow Queen let go, and Casey fell limp. A tear squeezed out of her eye as she trembled.

"Now, are you ready to tell me the truth?" the Snow Queen asked.

The pain may have weakened her, but Casey suddenly felt hurt, angry. She closed her eyes, another tear escaping the corner of her eye, as she lay helpless under the Snow Queen's gaze.

"How can you do this to your daughter?" Casey managed to ask, trying to gather strength.

Silence, for only a moment, and then the Snow Queen's hand was on Casey again, pulling her up. "What did you say?"

Casey forced herself to look into her mother's eyes. "I said, how can you hurt your own child?"

The Snow Queen didn't respond, only stared at Casey hard, never releasing her from her grasp.

"You can ignore it all you want or pretend it's just a setup, but I know the truth and I think you do too. I didn't get that memory from reading your mind; I don't know how to do that. I got that memory because I was there. I saw you over that cradle because you were in my nursery." A tear rolled down Casey's cheek. "So you can keep torturing me but it's not going to change the fact that it's true. I'm...I'm your daughter."


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

The Snow Queen stared at Casey, just stared, for a long time. It was like she was studying her, trying to find a piece, a trace of evidence that she was telling the truth.

The Snow Queen reached out her hand, and Casey flinched away.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," the Snow Queen said softly, reaching her hand toward Casey again. "May I?"

Casey didn't know what she was asking for but this time, she didn't flinch away.

She held her breath as the Snow Queen's fingers touched Casey's chin, lifting her face so they were eye to eye.

And the Snow Queen studied her eyes, gazed deep into them, as though searching for traces of the baby she'd once known.

The Snow Queen swallowed. "I have to be sure. If you're trying to trick me-"

"I'm not." Casey's voice broke. "I'm…trying to figure this out, that's all. That's why I came."

The Snow Queen breathed out. "I have a way. A way to be sure."

She rose to her feet and strode away.

It dawned on Casey that she could run. With the Snow Queen's back turned, and after the torture she'd just endured, she knew she should. The Snow Queen was, in fact, dangerous.

But if she had a way to be sure...

Seconds later, the Snow Queen returned, holding a sharp dagger. Casey's eyes widened as she shuffled backward, only to hit the wall behind her.

"Wait...what are you doing?" Casey asked as the Snow Queen dropped to her knees in front of her.

"Give me your arm." The Snow Queen reached out her hand. Casey swallowed, staring at the dagger. Fear overtook her, and she tried to move away, but there was still that wall.

"It's necessary," the Snow Queen said, as though speaking to a small child. "Now, give me your arm."

Casey could only shake her head, but the Snow Queen didn't pay any attention because she snatched Casey's arm anyway. Casey fought her, using her free hand to feign off that dagger. But swiftly, the Snow Queen spun Casey around and squeezed her tightly against herself. Both of Casey's arms were trapped and the Snow Queen leaned in.

"This is important, child," she whispered. "If you will not let me willingly, I will do it by force. I'm sorry, but I must know if you are truly my child or not. This blade has special magic – stop struggling, my dear – special magic. If we are of the same blood, the dagger will tell us. It's the only way."

The queen maneuvered so she still had Casey trapped against her, but gained a firm grasp on Casey's wrist.

"No, please," Casey tried, futile.

"Hold still." The queen's voice sounded broken, as though she did not want to lay the blade against Casey's skin. Maybe now that she had a suspicion of who Casey was, she no longer wanted to hurt her.

But she did anyway. The Snow Queen dragged the dagger across Casey's wrist, drawing blood. Casey cried out from the sting until the queen released her, rising to her feet, clinging to the bloodied dagger.

Casey held her hand over the deep cut as the Snow Queen stared at the dagger.

"Is she mine?" she asked the dagger, a tear sparkling in her eye. "Is she my child?" She drew the dagger to her own wrist, dragged it across effortlessly, and the two bloods mixed.

The Snow Queen dropped the dagger, holding her own bloodied wrist. She seemed oblivious to the pain, she just focused her sights on that dagger. Casey couldn't tear her eyes away from it either, because blue mist glowed around it. Casey held her breath and she sensed the Snow Queen was holding hers as well.

The blue mist rose, higher and higher and as it rose, it expanded. Then, as quickly as it all started, the blue mist disappeared, bursting into a mini snowstorm right in the middle of the ice palace. As the light flakes floated to the ground, the Snow Queen could only stare, unreadable. Casey had no idea what any of it meant – the dagger was supposed to reveal the truth, but what exactly had it revealed?

The Snow Queen's eyes rose from the fallen dagger and met Casey's.

"What...what does it mean?" Casey asked, fearing the answer now that it was so close.

A tear rolled down the Snow Queen's cheek and her face completely crumpled as she opened her mouth. "It snowed. My ice powers, it's a part of who I am. It's...it's in my blood. The only way the dagger would have manifested snow like that...is if that same blood ran through your veins."

Casey's heart stopped. The same blood. Casey looked down at the blood running down her arm, up at the blood running down the Snow Queen's. The same blood.

"Are...are you saying..."

And then, the Snow Queen smiled – not a cold, callous smile, but a genuine smile, the same one from Casey's memory.

"It's you," she said, approaching. "You really are my daughter."


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

Before Casey could process anything, the Snow Queen dropped to her knees before Casey, hesitantly held out her hand, touched her cheek. Her lip trembled as her hand met Casey's face. Ironic, really, how in only the past day, the Snow Queen's touch had brought pain, kidnapping and torture and now, it was gentle, curious, and safe.

Casey couldn't find her tongue, she felt numb everywhere. It was true, the Snow Queen was her mother and here it was, the moment Casey had wished for on every star she'd ever seen, her whole life. She knew where she came from, she had a mother, a real mother. Now that it was real, Casey had no idea how to react, what to say, and how to reconcile the fact that it was her mother who was terrorizing Storybrooke.

"Look at you," the Snow Queen practically whispered. "You're all grown up. You're certainly not my little..." the Snow Queen trailed off as a tear escaped the corner of her eye. "I never thought I'd see you again. This is, I don't know what to say."

Casey swallowed the rock in her throat. "Yeah, m-me neither."

The Snow Queen extended her hands, very slowly, like she knew she needed to tread carefully after all the pain she'd just caused. "M-may I?"

Casey could hear it in her voice, a desperation. The Snow Queen wanted to have her daughter in her arms. Casey was scared, but there was another part of her, a bigger part, the part of that cried out to her since the day she'd been abandoned. The part that needed to be in her mother's arms.

So with tears escaping from Casey's eyes, she nodded and before she knew it, the Snow Queen collected Casey into her arms, pulling her in and holding her close. Casey couldn't move, could only listen as the Snow Queen sobbed silently. It was surreal, seeing this villain so vulnerable, so...human. And Casey's whole life, she'd wondered where she'd come from, _who_ she came from, and now, she was in her arms.

Her mother's arms.

"I…I confess, I'm overwhelmed, I…I never imagined…" The Snow Queen was stammering. No hint of the callous woman who'd brought her here. Casey was having a hard time reconciling the two.

But at the same time, every question she'd ever had as a child had been answered. She had a mother; she was here, she was real.

"Oh, your arm, I nearly forgot." The Snow Queen's voice faltered when her eyes fell to the trail of blood down Casey's arm. "Here, let me."

She placed a gentle finger on the slashed wound and froze the blood to keep it from bleeding anymore. Casey gaped in astonishment when the Snow Queen did the same to her own arm.

"I didn't…" Casey swallowed. "You can do so much with your…powers."

The Snow Queen smiled. "Yes, I've learned a few tricks once I embraced who I was."

Was this actually happening? Ten minutes ago, Casey was tortured by this woman and now they were having a conversation about magic? Casey felt suspended, like she was caught up in a fairy tale and that was saying something, since technically, she was. But the little, lost girl inside, though relieved to have found her roots, still sought answers. And while she knew Regina and everyone else were worried sick out there, all that existed for Casey right now was inside this cave.

"Please, come and sit down. I'll get you a blanket. You must be frozen stiff." The Snow Queen offered her hand to Casey, pulling her up off the icy floor and leading her over to a lovely, cushioned chaise. Casey took a seat and was immediately thankful for the warmth of the fluffy blanket the Snow Queen draped over her shoulders.

"That's better, isn't it?" The Snow Queen lowered herself to sit next to Casey, who instinctively shifted further away.

The Snow Queen's eyes were filled with disappointment. "You're still afraid of me."

Casey swallowed. "I…it's just…well, you…"

"I know. I'm sorry for what I did to you. You have to understand I had no idea who you were. I suppose…I suppose I was frightened too," the Snow Queen admitted.

"You were scared of _me_?" Casey asked with an incredulous snort.

"More fear of the unknown." The Snow Queen smiled. "But it's all behind us now. You're here now, we're together at last."

Casey had a thousand questions threatening to hop off her tongue, but in that initial moment, she could only think of one. "What's your name?"

The Snow Queen grinned, and Casey could see genuine joy in the Snow Queen's eyes. "My name is Ingrid."

"I'm Casey. Well...I mean here, anyway. In the Enchanted Forest, I was Ava."

"I know you're Casey here…but your name isn't Ava. I suppose someone had to give you a name, but that's not how I know you. No, I named you Lyra," Ingrid said, a teardrop budding from the corner of her eye.

A warm feeling touched Casey, a sprinkling of a memory, a small one, just a voice really.

Ingrid's voice.

" _Go to sleep now, little Lyra. I will be here when you wake."_

Casey swallowed. "Lyra."

"It seemed the perfect fit for a princess."

Casey's eyes flew to meet the Snow Queen's. "Wait, princess?"

Sure, everyone called her the Snow Queen, but Casey figured it was just a nickname.

"I suppose there is a lot you don't know, little one. It's difficult to know where to begin."

"Well," Casey cleared her throat. "You could start with why you gave me up."

There was a part of her that still knew she was dealing with the Snow Queen. Anything could set her off and bring down a new reign of terror. But she was also the mother who abandoned Casey to life as an orphan. For today, that was stronger. Casey needed to know – what was it about her that wasn't good enough? Where had things gone so wrong? These memories of Ingrid leaning over a cradle, softly cooing, genuinely happy, how did they match up with Casey's life alone?

Ingrid met her eyes and Casey saw they were filled with horror.

"Gave you up?" Her eyes filled with tears. "You believe I…I abandoned you."

Casey felt uneasy. "Well…that's what I was told."

"Who told you?"

"The orphanage, I guess. They said I just showed up on their steps, that someone left me there." Casey swallowed. "Just yesterday, Regina told me I was actually in the woods, alone. She found me and brought me to the orphanage."

Ingrid stared at Casey, lost in thought over what had just been said. "It seems you have grown up believing a lie, though I don't suppose anyone lied to you intentionally. Nobody could tell you the truth if they didn't know it themselves."

Casey puckered her brow. "What are you talking about? Didn't…you leave me in the woods?"

The tears that trickled down Ingrid's cheek were answers to Casey's question before anything was spoken.

"I didn't leave you in the woods. I never knew what became of you. The last I saw you, you had just gone down for an afternoon nap. If I had known…" Ingrid broke down. "If I had known that was the last time I would see my baby…"

Casey was lost, pained by Ingrid's tears but itching for the truth. She had no idea how to talk to the Snow Queen, how to be a comfort to Storybrooke's villain, her mother.

So she waited.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, I have been overwhelmed with your kind words. Here is the big "reveal" chapter on how Casey was separated from Ingrid, but the story is far from over :)_

 **Nine**

Moments passed and Ingrid took a breath, met Casey's eyes and offered a smile. "I'm sorry. This is…well, it's difficult."

Casey nodded. "For me too."

Ingrid's hand fell upon Casey's. "You were everything to me Lyr…Casey. I would have died before abandoning you in the woods."

"So then…what happened?"

"You and I…we're not from here. You know that, but your home wasn't the Enchanted Forest either. We're from Arendelle," Ingrid began.

"Arendelle." Casey swallowed. "Like Elsa?"

"Yes. Elsa's mother was my sister. Her name was Gerda. I had another sister named Helga too. We grew up in a castle. We were princesses and I was set to inherit my father's throne. My sisters and I were very close but when I was 12, everything changed. I discovered my powers and couldn't control them. So I hid myself in the castle while we grew up. My sisters attended all the balls and I always stayed away, afraid I would hurt somebody."

Casey sighed. "It sounds so lonely."

"It was. I took solace in my evening strolls around the perimeter of the castle. One night I was terribly lonely and a passerby heard me crying. He was a great comfort to me that night. Over time, we fell in love, but…"

Casey was intrigued. "But what?"

"When he learned about my powers, he ran. He called me…a monster. I never heard from him again." Ingrid swallowed. "I was devastated. But it wasn't long before I had something else to devote my attention to."

Casey bit her lip. "Me."

"Yes." Ingrid's despair melted into a warm smile. "You were the most beautiful child I'd ever laid eyes upon, and you were mine. At first, I was terrified to be near you. I hadn't learned to control my powers and I so feared harming you, but you…you had a sort of effect on me, I suppose. When I was with you, my magic…it was like I didn't need to think about it."

"So…you were happy?" In all her life, Casey never once thought her real mother would have ever been happy with her. She was abandoned; Casey knew there had to be a reason why. She'd always assumed the reason had something to do with her.

"The happiest I've ever been." Ingrid smiled.

Casey shook her head. "Well then, I don't get it. If you were so happy with me, and if everything was so great, what went wrong?"

Ingrid struggled with the next part of the story – Casey could see it.

"A year after you were born, my sisters and I travelled to the Enchanted Forest to seek out Rumpelstiltskin."

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

"Yes. I'd heard of his magic and I hoped to find a way to rid myself of my powers forever. I needed to be in control, and I wasn't." Ingrid shook her head. "He gave me gloves to help, but also a magical urn to strip the world of my powers, but it was to be used as a last resort only. One day, after I put you down for a nap, I went out to the garden for some air. At the time, my sister Helga had been courting the Duke of Weasleton and when he arrived, I thought he'd come to call on her, naturally."

Ingrid paused. "It's all very complicated, and none of it matters now, but the Duke came onto me and told Helga it was the other way around. My dear sister, Helga didn't believe him and when he went to attack her…" Ingrid began to sob. "I used my powers…but he pushed Helga in his way."

Casey's eyes widened.

"I killed my sister that day." Ingrid sobbed. "And when Gerda found out, she didn't believe me. She said I was a monster and a danger. She said she…she had to protect the world from me."

Casey began to understand. "The urn."

"Yes. Gerda trapped me in the urn that day and I was trapped for many years. When I was finally free, I tore through Arendelle trying to find you. I discovered Gerda had children of her own, grown now, but it was clear they knew nothing. Nobody had any memory of me, or Helga, or you." Ingrid's face became a stone. "Gerda must have gotten the rock trolls to erase all memory of us."

"Wait, I don't understand." Casey puckered her brow. "Elsa's older than I am. You said you found out Gerda had kids, after you were trapped in the urn. How is that…possible?"

Ingrid seemed lost in her own thoughts as well, pondering over such a mystery. In the end, she could only shake her head. "I don't know. I suppose the rock trolls had something to do with it, but I never learned the truth about any of it. When I finally escaped the urn, I'd discovered Gerda was dead; my last link to you. My own sister…she must have been the one to leave you in the woods."

Casey shook her head. "But that doesn't make any sense either. Regina said it was snowing when she found me. In July. She said someone had left a magical trace. If Gerda left me there, not you, then where did the snow come from?"

Ingrid puckered her brow. "What are you talking about? What snow?"

"The snow when Regina found me in the woods," Casey replied. "She told me when she found me, it was snowing. She said there were traces of magic. I just assumed that was left from you."

Ingrid shook her head, staring at Casey as though with new eyes. "But I didn't leave you in the woods."

"Well okay, so maybe traces of your magic were still with me. I mean, if you just put me down for a nap that afternoon-"

"Impossible." Ingrid stood, stared down at the girl with bright eyes.

"What's impossible?"

"That trace magic couldn't have been from me," Ingrid explained. "You see, it was May when Gerda trapped me in that urn. If you were abandoned in the woods in July, then two months had passed. Any trace of my magic would have been long gone by then."

"So…" Casey swallowed, fearing she was coming upon the answer. "Why was it snowing in July?"

Ingrid fell to her knees in front of Casey, still seated on the chaise, took hold of her child's hand. "Casey. Have you ever felt…different inside?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Something that you couldn't explain. Something…magical?"

"Wait…you're not thinking…"

"How else do you explain the snow in July?"

Casey jumped to her feet, knocking the blanket off her shoulders. "You think _I_ caused that snow? You think I had some kind of magic as a baby?"

"If you made it snow, then you would have those same powers now." Ingrid smiled at her. "That's not something you grow out of."

"Well, you have to be wrong because I don't have any magic in me."

"And how do you know that?"

"I just-"

Casey stood there, lost in thought for a moment before reeling back to what she believed were her senses. "No, that can't be right. Regina's the one who found me in the woods. She's the most powerful person I know when it comes to magic; she would have known it was me, if it was."

Ingrid lifted an eyebrow. "How do you know she didn't?"

"Because she would have told me."

"Would she?" Ingrid inched closer, stared deep into Casey's eyes. "Didn't you say she just told you yesterday she was the one to find you in the woods?"

Casey swallowed, couldn't answer.

"Why would she have kept that a secret all these years?" Ingrid said in a hushed whisper. "Why wouldn't she trust you with such an important part of your history?"

Casey wanted to answer, felt answers on the tip of her tongue. _She wanted to protect you. She didn't want to hurt you._ But even now, as the truth was becoming clearer, Casey wasn't even sure if she believed that to be true anymore.

"Think about it, Casey." Ingrid spoke softly. "The evil queen finds a crying baby in the woods, a baby who makes it snow in July. She would have heard about me, naturally, and about my new imprisonment. She was, after all, in a sort of partnership with Rumpelstiltskin. She would have easily learned about the urn. So how long do you think it took her to put two and two together?"

Casey didn't like where this was going, but she couldn't speak, and she couldn't stop herself from listening either.

"She figured out you were my daughter, and she knew that magic was yours. She couldn't allow you to just fall into anyone's hands – especially anyone who could have helped you realize your power more fully. So she had to hide you away, an orphanage, perhaps, and keep an eye on you to make sure you would never become more powerful than she." Ingrid paused. "In short, she was trying to keep you from becoming what she believed was a monster."

"No!" Casey cried. "She…she wouldn't do that."

"No? Isn't this the same woman who cast a curse on the Enchanted Forest, brought everyone here with no true memory of who they were?" Ingrid laughed then. "Interesting, isn't it? Part of her curse was to create new lives for everyone. How convenient that you ended up under her guardianship at a crucial time in your development. You were, what, 12 when the curse hit? That's how old I was when my powers emerged."

Casey shook her head, words caught in her throat.

"She needed you close by, in case your magic was triggered. She had to keep you under watch, subdued so she could take care of any…problems, should they appear."

"You're wrong! Regina took care of me, looked out for me. She may have cast the curse and she may have been the evil queen, but she's…she's changed," Casey cried.

"Has she?" Ingrid chuckled again. "You said she's known this whole time who your mother was and she never told you. Do you think she did that to protect you? She did that to protect herself! She saw you as a threat, one that had to be silenced if the need should ever arise. So she kept you close."

Casey's arguments caught in her throat as Ingrid's words began to wash over her. Was it true? Bringing everyone to Storybrooke without any memory of their true selves was Regina's curse, a curse that would keep her in control and everyone miserable, sentenced to lives without happy endings. But the thing was, the curse wouldn't take away the core of who a person was, their powers, for example. Without a person's memories, though, the magic could never bleed through, so Regina was safe.

But what if? What if, like Ingrid, magic powers simply appeared one day without warning, triggered by something? Memories of the Enchanted Forest or not, if Casey did have latent powers, would they have just…show up one day?

Was that why Regina brought Casey under her roof?

All this time, Casey believed Regina's heart had begun to melt, especially when it came to Henry and Casey. The two of them always had the capacity to bring out the best in Regina. Casey even believed Regina had chosen her before the curse because she didn't want to be alone, that she wanted someone to love.

But now, it all felt like a lie.

"I'm sorry, Casey." Ingrid's eyes dropped. "I seem to have upset you."

"No, it's just…" Casey didn't even know how to finish that sentence. "I mean…I would know by now, wouldn't I? If I had…magic?"

Ingrid tilted her head. "Maybe not. Everyone's different, of course. Fear triggered mine; it could be any number of things that could trigger yours."

"If I even have any magic at all, you mean."

Ingrid smiled softly. "I think you and I both know there's something. It doesn't just snow in July, not even in magical lands, Casey."

Casey breathed out, lowered herself back to the icy seat below. She suddenly felt very…lost. Who was she? After all these years, she'd finally discovered who her mother truly was, but at what price? What had Regina been keeping from her all these years? Or was Ingrid simply using all of this to her advantage? Whatever plans she had for Storybrooke, would any of it change now that the truth was revealed? Maybe dividing people was an asset Ingrid could use.

No, even Casey didn't really believe that. But was Ingrid right? Had Regina kept this all from her? Had she taken her under her wing after the curse just to keep an eye on her, just to keep her under house arrest to ensure she wouldn't become powerful? What reason would she have to be afraid of Casey?

Casey shook her head feeling the heaviness of the entire world on her shoulders; her past, her present, and her future. She couldn't pull herself away from the nagging feeling that there might be more to this story than she knew. That Regina's motivations might be more sinister than she always believed.

But how would she ever know for sure?

"Well, things have certainly taken a drastic change, haven't they?" Ingrid said with a smile, changing the subject. "Now that you're here, my plans for Storybrooke, well, they aren't so important anymore."

Casey reeled back to the here and now, puckered her brow. "W-what plans for Storybrooke?"

"No need to worry about that, because it doesn't matter anymore." Ingrid smiled. "You're here."

She reached for Casey then, but Casey pulled away. This was all too much; Ingrid, her mother, but a villain, a villain who had plans for Storybrooke. Whether she was going through with them or not didn't matter. Ingrid had still hurt her, and who knew what she'd done to Regina, Emma and Elsa back in the woods.

Casey didn't know, but the memories she'd experienced were real, that much she knew. Visions of Ingrid as a young mother, happy and filled with love for her baby girl, they were all real, but being locked up in that urn with nothing but bitterness for as long as she'd been could do a number on your sanity. Ingrid had been after something and Casey, though she would never admit it, wasn't sure if she could be trusted.

And then there was Regina, another villain who Casey had, for years, seen the best of. How could she really be sure that Ingrid was telling the truth? How could she be sure of anything anymore?

"What's the matter, my darling?" Ingrid cooed, inching closer.

Again, Casey pulled away but this time, she jumped to her feet. "I just…I need to go."

Ingrid's face dropped, her eyes sparkled. "What?"

"I have to figure some things out. I just…I need some time." Casey sighed, met Ingrid's eyes. "This is so much."

"I can help you," Ingrid said.

"No, I need to do it on my own," Casey squeaked and before Ingrid could say any word, she headed for the mouth of the cave.

An icy blast knocked her back. Not a strong one, nothing to hurt her, but enough to stop her.

"I can't just let you leave, Casey," Ingrid said with a tremble in her voice. "Not after I finally got you back."

Casey turned to find her mother standing there, hand up, ready to use her powers if she needed to.

Casey swallowed. "I just need to figure some stuff out."

"Don't you understand? As soon as you leave, you'll begin to doubt everything. Everybody out there will tell you what a monster I am until you believe it, and then I'll have lost you again." Ingrid was crying.

"That's not-"

"I'm sorry, Casey, but I won't lose you again."

Casey shook her head, stared hard. "It's not like that."

"I can't be sure."

"You can't just keep me here." Casey felt tears stabbing her eyes. "I need some time."

A single tear fell from Ingrid's eye as she shook her head. "Time only steals the things that are most important."

With that, she began to cast a stream of magic toward the mouth of the cave, beginning an icy barricade. Casey's heart began to thump.

"Stop it," she cried, staring hard at the woman who was her mother.

But Ingrid didn't move. She continued to cast the spell, and the ice wall grew higher.

"Stop!" Casey screamed again, but Ingrid wasn't hearing any of it. Casey felt so trapped, not just by Ingrid but by every new feeling that was gnawing away at her. She couldn't catch her breath, she couldn't see straight from the tears that blinded her. She felt so…out of control.

"Ingrid!" Casey shouted one last time before lifting a hand. "I said, stop!"

A blast of ice flashed out of nowhere, knocking Ingrid back and stopping the wall of ice from forming. A gasp erupted from Casey's lips as she stared at her hands, noticing a blue-ish tint sparkling from her fingertips.

No.

She hadn't…

Casey's breath caught as she stared wide-eyed at her fingers, at Ingrid, who was pulling herself up. Their eyes met and Casey was sure she saw the start of what would have been a smile crossing Ingrid's face.

But Casey spun on her heels and ran as fast as she could, hopping over the beginning of the ice wall that would have trapped her, and out the cave.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten**

Tears flew from Casey's face, fear crushed her heart as reality set in like a ton of bricks. Magic; she had magic, but that seemed like child's play next to the theories Ingrid planted in her mind about Regina's motives. This couldn't be happening, not to Casey. She wasn't special, she'd never been out of the ordinary, she was just…just Casey. A ward of the state, cared for by the mayor of Storybrooke, an orphan from the Enchanted Forest.

Only seconds had turned her whole life around.

She had a mother, a very powerful mother who had magic, magic, it seemed, that had been passed down to Casey, latent for all these years. What triggered it? Was it stress? That couldn't be it; she'd had plenty of stress in life. No, it was meeting Ingrid, discovering the truth, feeling so overwhelmed with the heaviness of it all that she felt she would just explode.

And she had.

Ingrid wasn't chasing after her, but still, Casey ran. Down the path, across the creek, through the trees, unable to catch her breath or make sense of anything.

At the edge of the wood, near the town line, Casey stopped, sucked back a deep breath as her whole body trembled. She sank to the ground, leaned up against a tree, gasping for air. Her fingertips throbbed, felt as though they had been exposed to the cold for too long – a brutal reminder of what she'd just done. She had powers, a magic that lived inside of her and always had. Regina must have known that day she found Casey in the woods that it wasn't trace magic that made it snow, but magic coming from the baby itself.

The question was, why hadn't Regina told her?

All this time, all these years, not only had Regina lied about knowing who her mother was, but she'd lied about the magic too. What did she have to gain by lying?

Unless Ingrid was right; had Regina been posing as her guardian to keep her close all this time in Storybrooke, just to make sure she wouldn't develop any magic? Had she really been afraid that Casey's powers could overtake her?

Casey held her head in her hands and let the tears fall. Nothing made sense: how different would her life had been if Gerda hadn't trapped her own sister in that urn? Why had Gerda decided to hide the truth from an entire kingdom? And, the weirdest part, how could Casey be only 15, but Ingrid was trapped in that urn before Elsa and Anna were even born?

The truth was none of that really meant anything to Casey, not with the more important question pressing on her mind, her heart: why had Regina lied to her all this time? It was enough to shake her, rock her entire existence. She was so lost in her pain, so confused and so shaken that she didn't even realize she was no longer alone until she felt a light touch on her arm.

Casey jumped up, thinking for a split second that Ingrid had come after her, but instead she was met by a surprised Snow White.

"Hey, it's okay, it's just me!" Snow said, clasping Casey's arm to steady her. "What happened, are you okay?"

Casey didn't answer. How would she ever be okay again?

Before Snow could question her any further, another voice from down the ridge called out, "Over here, I found them!"

David.

Snow took one look at Casey, knew something wasn't right, and took her hand. "Whatever happened, it's going to be okay. Come on."

And she led Casey toward the sound of David's voice.

Casey pieced together that Snow and David must have come looking for the group of them, probably discovering the note Emma had left behind that described their plans to confront the Snow Queen in the woods. Clearly, Snow and David had deemed this a bad enough idea to follow them.

As Casey followed Snow down the ridge, she spotted David speaking with Emma, who looked pretty shaken. Casey's heart leapt as Elsa, and then Regina, came into view. They were okay; whatever the Snow Queen had hit them with, at least they were okay.

Casey knew she should care, but she didn't.

"Like I said, Casey went flying and the next thing I knew, a blast of something cold hit us. I guess we were out cold until you showed up," Emma said as Snow approached. Casey held back, but it didn't matter. Emma spotted her anyway.

"You're okay!" she cried with wide eyes.

That gained everybody's attention, including Regina, who breathed out loudly and raced toward her.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she reached out a hand to Casey's face, but Casey backed away, a storm brewing in her stomach. Regina stared, no doubt surprised by this sudden change of heart.

"Casey, it's me," Regina said, concern etched on her face. "What did she do to you?"

But Casey couldn't find her tongue, not even to lash out, to blame, to demand the truth. No, something was stopping her, though she couldn't say what it was. Maybe there was a part of her that wasn't ready to hear Regina admit what Ingrid claimed to be true. Maybe there was a small part of Casey that still wanted to cling to the belief that Regina was good.

She backed away from the group, aware they were all staring at her wide-eyed and confused. Let them think what they wanted; Casey couldn't take it, couldn't take a single second more of it.

For the second time that day, she turned on her heels and ran.

"Casey!" Regina called after her, but Casey ignored her, hoping she wouldn't decide to use her magic to pull her back. Casey had no idea how her own magic worked, but no matter how angry she was with Regina, she didn't want to hurt her. She'd already accidentally knocked her own mother back with an icy blast; what exactly was she capable of?

No magic came at her, though, so Casey kept on running, hardly knowing where she was going, except out of her mind.

And that was hardly a comfort.


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

Casey spent the rest of the day wandering until she eventually ended up at the abandoned playground by the waterfront. The wind had picked up and with the damp air blowing in off the coast, Casey was freezing. She knew she should go back to the loft and grab a sweater, maybe even an extra pair of socks, but she couldn't face anybody, and the loft was prime real estate for crowds and questions. No, too many people lived there right now; Casey would just have to wait it out.

She thought about venturing back to Ingrid's cave, but she couldn't do that either, not yet. She thought about finding Regina, demanding the truth, but how could she trust that Regina would be honest? If she'd been harboring the truth about finding her in the woods, about the snow in July, what else had she kept secret? After all, the only reason she even offered up that information was because Casey had already figured some of it out. How could she even be sure _that_ was the whole truth?

Casey wanted to kick something, for how helpless she felt. It was too much, all of it, every single piece. She wondered briefly how Emma must have reacted when Henry showed up on her doorstep, a few years back, announcing he was her son and not only that, but that she was the savior, the only one who could save Storybrooke.

Well, it took ages, but Emma came to accept it all: her fairy tale parents, her prophesied role of hero, her new life. How long before Casey could accept the fact that she had ice powers she'd never known about, or that she had a mother who was the villainous Snow Queen everyone wanted to drive out of town, or that the one woman she was supposed to trust, who'd been taking care of her, had only done so as a means to an end?

How were you supposed to accept any of _that?_

"Hey, Casey."

Casey whirled around and there was Henry standing a few feet away, hands in pocket, watching her carefully.

Casey sighed. "How'd you find me, Henry?"

"It's our Castle. You used to bring me here when I was younger. I still come here when I'm upset; I just figured you would too," Henry replied, swallowing the distance between them.

Casey crossed her arms. "Who said I was upset?"

"Everyone." Henry climbed up next to her on the wooden castle floor. "They all came back to the loft and told me what happened; how the Snow Queen kidnapped you and blasted everyone else. They said they found you in the woods later, but that you took off because you were upset or something."

Casey lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I guess that pretty much sums it up."

"So, did the Snow Queen…why did she take you?" Henry asked. "Did she hurt you?"

"No…" Before Casey even knew what was happening, she was crying again.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked.

"What's wrong is that the Snow Queen isn't just the Snow Queen." Casey sobbed. "She's my mother."

"Wait, what?"

"I think that's why I could sense her before. Remember when I said I thought I could _see_ her? It's because I was connected to her. She's my mom, Henry. We…the Snow Queen used magic to prove it. And Regina, she knew…she knew this whole time."

"But, how come she never told you?" Henry asked, but even Casey didn't need to convince Henry of any answer. He knew his mother was the Evil Queen, once upon a time, and that she had done questionable acts, murderous and treacherous acts. There was no telling why she chose to do the things she did.

But why she still kept it all a secret, even after all these years, even when her heart was beginning to warm, Casey didn't understand.

Unless she was still trying to keep a close eye on Casey and any potential magic that might create a threat.

"Henry, I need to know the truth. I need to know exactly what happened when I was left in the woods all those years ago. I need to know why Regina would keep it a secret. I need to know what she's hiding," Casey said, venom on her tongue.

"Maybe we could ask her," Henry suggested.

"She lied to me! She only told me she suspected the Snow Queen was my mother when I confronted her about it. How can I even know she told me the whole truth? I need to know what's going on, and I need your help."

"Me? Why?"

"Because," Casey replied. "I need to break into Regina's secret vault."


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve**

"I still can't believe we're doing this," Henry said incredulously as he stared at the house across the street.

Casey rolled her eyes. "You can back out if you want to. I'm still going in for Regina's spell book. It just makes it a lot easier if you can distract her while I'm breaking into her office."

"Maybe she's not even home. Maybe she's out with everyone else looking for you."

"Well, if that's true, then you're here to bail me out in case she does show up." Casey gestured toward the house. "Are we doing this or not?"

"I still don't understand why you can't just ask her to tell you the truth," Henry said, moping.

"Look, once upon a time, I trusted her, but right now, I don't okay? The only person who knows just as much as Regina would is her Magic Mirror, and I can't convince it to talk to me unless I have her spell book to force it to," Casey explained.

"Yeah, but Casey, I'm pretty sure you need magic to use any of the spells in that book," Henry pointed out.

Casey bit her lip. "Yeah well…we can figure that part out later. Let's just get the book."

No, she hadn't told him about her powers yet. How could she when she didn't even know exactly what her powers were or what they could do? Would she really be able to cast a spell on the Magic Mirror to make it show her the truth? Or was blasting her mother with a wall of ice the best she could do?

 _If that was the best I could do, why would Regina have kept me close all these years? She must have thought I could be powerful…_

Great, now she sounded just like the Snow Queen. What if this, all of this, was just the Snow Queen manipulating her? What if it was a trick? What if all of this was just a way to get Casey to turn on everyone in Storybrooke, what if she was nothing more than a pawn in some sinister plot?

Well, Casey didn't know what to believe anymore, but at least one thing was certain: Regina's Magic Mirror never lied.

So, at least there was something she could trust.

"Okay, Henry. Go!"

Henry ran for the front of the house, prepared to distract Regina, whether she was home yet or not, while Casey climbed in through the back window in her office. She'd lived here long enough to know Regina always kept a window open so she wouldn't get too hot.

At least some things she could depend on.

Rounding the back of the house, she peered through the window to make sure Regina wasn't already there. The coast was clear. Knowing Regina, she was probably off with Snow, Charming, Elsa and Emma looking for Casey, just like Henry had said. Casey suddenly hoped she could trust Henry on this; what if he was already texting his moms that he found her?

Well, even if he was, she'd be in and out before they had a chance to show up.

She slithered in through the open window and gently touched the ground. After a quick check, she crossed the room on tiptoes toward the closed door, pressed her ear against it. Nothing.

Regina wasn't home yet.

Casey opened drawers, checked the bookshelves, under couches, in cabinets, wherever she thought Regina might hide something like a spell book. Nothing. Frustrated, Casey spun around, trying to think like Regina. She wouldn't just leave it out in the open, would she? She'd keep it hidden, keep it safe, but where?

"Henry, what are you doing here?"

Casey's head jerked toward the door. Regina was here!

 _Find it, and get out!_

"Hey Mom, I-I just thought I'd stop by and see if maybe Casey would come here," Henry replied, nerves touching his voice.

At least they'd never have to worry about Henry keeping secrets – he sucked at lying.

Casey started scrambling. Opening more drawers, digging through papers, all while muffled voices in the hallway continued. At least Henry was holding up his end of the bargain; now if only he could distract her long enough to get Casey out of here!

 _Not without that spell book!_

Then there was one drawer that wouldn't open.

"Come on, open!" Casey hissed, and it dawned on her. Of course, Regina would lock it up.

And of course she wouldn't leave the keys in her office.

Frustrated, Casey felt tears prickle her eyes. She needed the truth, she _longed_ for it, and she felt it slipping away from her, slipping through her fingers right there in front of her.

Her fingers…

They were turning blue, like before.

No…

Could she?

She stared at the closed door, still faintly hearing Henry's murmurs while her heart raced like a marathon runner.

Casey pointed at the locked drawer, and closed her eyes. She didn't know what she was doing, or if it would even work, but she allowed herself to feel the desperation of needing the truth, the pain of not knowing who she was or where she truly belonged. She let that anger, that fear, build up inside of her, and then thought hard about that drawer unlocking.

A blast of ice shot out from her finger, and the whole desk turned to ice for about a second before the whole thing shattered into a thousand needles of ice, an explosion that echoed off the walls. Casey was knocked back by the force, gasping heavily as she gazed upon what she'd done.

"What was that?" she heard Regina yell.

There was no time! The spell book lay exposed in the midst of the ice shards. Casey quickly scooped it up and darted for the open window, leaping out and ducking behind a nearby tree.

"Mom, it was probably just an animal," Henry tried while Regina threw open the doors to her office. Casey held her breath behind the tree, clutching the spell book to her chest.

"The Snow Queen was here. She's looking for Casey," Regina murmured. "Are you sure you don't know where she is, Henry?"

Casey closed her eyes. _Don't tell, Henry. I'll explain everything, just please don't tell._

"I don't know, Mom," he replied, and for the first time since he'd started lying, he actually sounded convincing.

But would Regina buy it?

Regina sighed and turned back to her son. "Alright, I'm going back to find Emma and the others. They need to know the Snow Queen is in Storybrooke. We have to find Casey before she does."

Casey's breath caught in her throat. Regina believed Ingrid was somewhere in town, that the shattered desk of ice was the Snow Queen's doing, not Casey's. So Regina wasn't even suspecting Casey's powers had come out of hiding yet. How long before she was smart enough to figure it out? Regina wasn't stupid; she'd eventually put two and two together.

So Casey had to get to Regina's vault and talk to that Mirror before she did.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thirteen**

"Do you really think you'll be able to get that Mirror to show you anything?" Henry asked as the two of them shifted down the trail toward Regina's vault. "I'm sure Mom's got some kind of protective spell on it."

"I figured she would," Casey replied, clutching the spell book tightly to her chest like it would grow feet and scamper away. "That's why I needed her book."

"Yeah, but I told you – spell books don't work unless you have magic," Henry pointed out, trying to catch his breath.

Casey stopped and whirled around to face the boy who was as good as her brother. "Who do you think shattered Regina's desk into a pile of ice?"

Henry stopped, paled. "It…it was the Snow Queen. She must have been there before us."

"And how much sense does that make?" Casey asked, knowing Henry was smarter than that. "You heard the desk shatter; that's why Regina came running. The Snow Queen didn't do it; her daughter did."

Casey turned and continued stalking toward the vault. Anger fueled her now, along with impatience and a desperation for truth. She could feel an icy swell inside of her, like whatever magic she had couldn't be contained. Truth be told, it terrified her. How much control did she really have over it? All she'd wanted was to unlock that little drawer; instead, she'd made the whole desk explode into a thousand shards of ice. How much damage was she capable of?

Maybe Regina had been right to keep her under guard.

"But…does that mean you've always had magic in you?" Henry asked, barely even fazed by the fact that his adopted sister had powers. Why should it? After all, he'd been the one to discover the truth about the town of Storybrooke; he'd been the one to bring the savior back and reverse Regina's curse. Anything that had to do with magic would hardly turn his head, not after all he'd seen.

"It's always been there, but in hiding, apparently," Casey replied. "Ingrid says that's why Regina kept me close. So she could make sure it never came out."

"You don't really believe Mom would do that, do you?"

"I don't know what I believe anymore, Henry." Casey stopped, stared at the vault in front of her. "Stay out here, okay? I have to do this alone."

Henry sighed, shoved his hands in his pockets. "Are you sure you want the truth, Casey? I mean, what if it's hard."

Casey lowered her head, clutched the spell book tighter to her chest. "Even if it's hard, I still need to know."

Henry and Casey locked eyes for a moment before Henry gave a small nod. "I'll wait out here. I'll…yell or something if someone comes."

Casey managed a small smile. "Thanks."

Armed with the spell book, she entered Regina's vault. She took the stairs down to its depths and was soon face to face with Regina's Magic Mirror. She'd heard Regina talk about this mirror before, but only in passing, really. Regina didn't much like to discuss her life before she'd turned a new leaf. Apparently, her evil days were behind her, but whether or not that was true, Casey still had answers to find. Regina hadn't been entirely truthful, and whether or not there was evil intent, Casey didn't trust her.

But the Mirror would tell her everything she needed to know.

"Uh." Casey cleared her throat. "Mirror, wake up."

Boy, did that ever sound lame! Magic coursed through her veins and that was the best line she could come up with?

Of course, magic. The Mirror wouldn't just…turn on. Magic would bring the Mirror to life.

Dropping to her knees, Casey opened the spell book and thumbed through its pages, scavenging for anything that would shed any light on how to activate a magic mirror.

Casey half wondered to herself how anyone with magic learned anything; everyone she knew with magic – Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, Elsa, Emma and now her mother – they'd all made it seem so effortless. Had they all started out like her? Completely useless?

She tried not to think about it.

"There!" she hissed under her breath as she found the page she was looking for. She studied the markings on the page for a second or two before rising to her feet and sucking back a breath. She stared hard at the Mirror, envisioned a face appearing before her. Okay, so both times she'd used her magic, it manifested because she felt an intense emotion. When her mother wouldn't let her leave the ice cave, she'd felt trapped, suffocated and then that blast of ice knocked Ingrid down so she could escape. Then, in Regina's office, she'd felt alone and confused, and then that desk shattered into a pile of ice. This time, she let it fill her. Anger, sadness, pain – it all filled her from the bottom up as she stared at the Mirror. Feeling an icy pinch in the pit of her stomach, she spoke the words from Regina's book.

They were words of nonsense to Casey, void of meaning and definitely not English, but Casey could sense the magic working inside of her. Sure enough, as she spoke the last words from Regina's book, the Mirror in front of her came to life.

A smoky mist appeared behind the glass and out of the mist rose a face.

The Magic Mirror.


	14. Chapter 14

**Fourteen**

"What's going on here?" the Mirror bellowed as he sized up Casey. "You're not my queen."

Casey wanted to run, hide, cower away from this beastly piece of magic, but the the desperation rising up inside of her ignited a strange courage that was foreign. Holding her head high and clutching Regina's spell book, she spoke.

"No, I'm not, but I have her book, and my own magic has summoned you." Casey refused to lower her eyes from the Mirror's penetrating stare. "I need your help."

"Oh, I know who you are. Yes, you're that orphan from the Enchanted Forest, lost in the woods and taken in by her majesty when Storybrooke was brought to life," the Mirror said. "Tell me, how did you manage to steal the queen's spell book. More curiously, how did you come to have magic of your own?"

"It doesn't matter, I have them," Casey continued. "I need you to show me the truth. I need to know how I ended up in that forest all those years ago, what happened when Regina found me. I need to know why she kept me close once we got to Storybrooke."

"Why not ask her?"

"If I could do that, do you think I'd be here?" Casey snapped. "Please, just show me."

"As you wish, but keep in mind: sometimes truth is a more difficult road than the alternative."

"Show me."

The Mirror lifted a taunting eyebrow as a final warning but when Casey refused to budge, he disappeared into the mist, and soon, Casey was staring at a clearing with piles of rock scattered about. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. Then, there was the sound of a baby crying. Casey's heart sank to her toes as she watched an unfamiliar woman carrying a small basket appear. Next to her was a small troll.

"Pabby, are you sure somebody will find her once we go through with this?" the woman asked. Casey remembered what Ingrid had told her earlier; this must be her sister, Gerda.

The woman who trapped her mother in some magical urn and abandoned her sister's only child. Casey couldn't help but feel a sting of anger.

"Yes, I have foreseen safety for this child," the wise troll replied. "But if we go through with this, there is no telling where she will end up. A portal has the capability to send the child to another time, another dimension, another kingdom. We have no way of knowing where she will end up. Yes, she will be safe, but she will not be home."

Gerda placed the basket on the ground, the baby crying inside. "Ingrid killed my sister, Pabby. We cannot allow our kingdom to remember them. If our enemies knew what happened, they would take Arendelle and we cannot allow the kingdom to fall into their hands. You must take all memories of Ingrid, Helga, and now this baby, from our kingdom. It is the only way."

Pabby sighed. "As you wish, your majesty."

As the troll waved his hands, a purple smoke rose from the ground surrounding the small basket. It yawned open, drowning out the baby's sobs with its powerful storm. Gerda stole one final look at the shrieking sobbing baby in the basket, and just as quickly as the portal had opened, it disappeared.

And the baby with it.

A portal; she'd been pushed through a portal. That explained how she could be younger than Elsa, though she'd been born first. The portal must have shifted her through time, somehow. At least something made sense.

Still, Casey felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she watched the moment she was abandoned. She'd known her whole life she'd been abandoned, but to see it, right there in front of her, was heart-breaking.

The mist appeared again and night had fallen on the Enchanted Forest, where the small basket landed. The baby was silent now and Casey could hear the sounds of a carriage approaching. Appearing not too far from where the small basket lay, a black carriage halted and a footman jumped out, running out toward the baby.

"What is it now?" a voice shrieked from inside the carriage. Casey barely recognized it, but there was something familiar about it too. Sure enough, when the carriage door burst open, a regal lady in a pitch black dress and cape came flowing out, narrowed eyes and a curl in her lip. Casey gasped; it was her, Regina. Casey had never known her as the evil queen, only heard stories of her at the orphanage, but to see her the day she'd found the baby in the woods, well, Casey was terrified.

"What is the holdup?" Regina asked, approaching the footman with a sneer.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry for the delay. But there is a…a baby." The footman pointed at the small basket.

"A what?" Regina stomped her way into the clearing and stared down at the basket, glaring daggers at the child.

"It must have been abandoned by some poor-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" the queen said through clenched teeth. "Go wait by the carriage. I will deal with this."

The footman ducked out of the thicket, leaving Regina alone with the baby.

Casey had never seen such hatred in Regina's eyes, but even behind that mask of evil, Casey saw something familiar glimmer behind them while she stared at the child.

Regina reached into the basket and picked the baby up, held her at arm's length. The baby began to cry.

"Yes, and right you should cry. Better for you to learn early on that your queen is not one to be trifled with," Regina said with a curl to her lip.

And then it started to snow.

In July.

Casey watched incredulously as Regina's confidence and regality seemed to falter at the sight of the magical snow. With wide eyes, she stared at the baby, who continued to cry with tight fists.

"No," Regina whispered. "It can't be."

Regina continued to stare at the crying child, as if fighting with some inner struggle Casey couldn't see. Regina bit her lip, took it all in: the child, the snow surrounding her, until she finally found her voice.

"So you have magic. I hardly expect you to understand, but this presents a problem for me. I can't exactly have you growing up and learning to control those powers. Your magic is far too strong and if it was ever unleashed, you could grow more powerful than me. I can't allow that to happen." Regina lifted an eyebrow. "I'll just have to put you where you'll never learn to use them. Perhaps that poor, filthy orphanage isolated in the woods. I've heard the mistress there is quite harsh, and the orphans are miserable. That sort of life will crush any spirit in you, any hope that your magic could spark to life. You'll be far too miserable to even dream of magic."

And with a puff of purple smoke, Regina, along with the baby, disappeared.

Casey swallowed hard, tears burning her eyes as the truth stared right back at her, just as clearly as her own reflection would. She didn't know if she could take anymore, but the Mirror had one last thing to show her.

It was years later, and there was Regina, conjuring up the curse that would bring everyone in the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, to a world without memories or happy endings. Regina was watching a young girl through a crystal ball, her eyes cold, yet worried.

"I've kept my eye on you from a distance all this years, and I haven't any cause for concern, but you've just turned 12, the prime age for latent magic to come out. In this new world, I am going to have to keep a fiercer eye on you, make sure you don't discover that power inside of you," Regina snarled. "You have the potential to ruin everything I've built."

As the curse began to work its magic, Regina glided over to the balcony and stared out at the Enchanted Forest. "I suppose in this new land, I shall have no choice but to keep you under my roof. Just another burden I will have to bear."

The Mirror went black, and then the floating face appeared again. His eyes were wide as saucers.

"Y-your majesty…"

Casey shook her head. "I'm not-"

"He's talking to me."

Casey whipped around and there stood Regina, staring at Casey with a look Casey was all too familiar with. How many times had she been grounded under that look?

Casey tried to find her tongue, but couldn't, not under Regina's penetrating stare. It wasn't until Henry slouched in behind his mom that Casey's tongue finally unhinged.

"Henry, you said you'd-"

"I know, I'm sorry," Henry said, biting his lip. "But I think you need to talk to her."

Casey felt her fingertips grow tingly and chilled. Whatever power she had within her, she only hoped she could control it.

"Henry, why don't you give us a minute?" Regina said quietly, turning to her son. Casey's heart hammered mercilessly in her chest. The truth was laid bare now; no matter how Regina tried to weasel her way out of it, Casey knew the truth.

Henry lowered his head and nodded, sharing a significant glance at Casey who looked away just as quickly. As Henry left the two alone, Regina closed the distance between them and waved her hand at the Mirror.

"Some privacy, Mirror," she said, and the face in the mirror disappeared. Casey swallowed, staring up at the woman she'd looked to as a mother, the woman who lied, who'd kept her close just to make sure her magic would never emerge, who stuck her in a hole of an orphanage just so her spirit and hope would be too crushed for any magic to take hold.

Ingrid was right; Regina never cared – Casey was only a means to an end. How did that old saying go? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Regina was so focused on being the most powerful that she sentenced a young girl to a meaningless childhood just to make sure a magical enemy wouldn't rise up against her.

It was enough to make Casey sick.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," Regina said, clearing her throat. "I've been so worried."

Casey shook her head. "I don't believe you."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "You don't believe me? Ask Emma, Snow, any of them."

"Of course they'd believe you, Regina. Lies just slip off your tongue, don't they?" Casey hissed.

"What has gotten into you, young lady?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that everything I thought I knew and cared about in life meant _nothing!_ "

Regina puckered her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I know the truth, Regina. I know what you did, and I know why." Casey bit her lip to keep the tears from spilling over. She didn't want to appear weak, not now, not ever.

Regina moved forward, but Casey only backed away. Regina sighed. "What did that snow queen tell you?"

"That you only kept me close so you could make sure I wouldn't learn about my magic." Casey watched for a reaction, but Regina's face was stone. "I didn't believe her at first; I wanted so badly to believe there was good in you, but then…"

Casey swallowed. "I stole your spell book so I could make the Mirror show me the truth. I saw it all, Regina. _Everything_. You did find me in the woods, but that wasn't all, was it? You stuck me in a crappy orphanage so I wouldn't discover my magic and then when you brought everyone to Storybrooke, you pretended to adopt me like I was special or something, but it was all so you could keep an eye on me, make sure I didn't become more powerful than you! All this time, Regina, I thought you took me in because I meant something to you, but now I know the truth!"

Regina shook her head. "Casey, it's not-"

"I don't get it, Regina! If I was such a threat to you, why didn't you just kill me in the woods when I was a baby?"

Tears flooded Regina's eyes. "There's a lot you don't understand, Casey. I may have been the Evil Queen, but I still had…feelings. You were a baby. I'll admit, what I did to you was…wrong, careless, well, terrible. But killing you…that was never an option."

"Well, I guess that was pretty convenient for me, wasn't it?" Casey glared. "Besides, your big plan didn't work. I figured out how to use my magic today, so everything you ever did was for nothing."

"My office, the frozen desk." Regina swallowed. "It wasn't the Snow Queen. It was…you."

Casey managed a small nod. "Like mother, like daughter."

Regina stepped forward again. "Well, it doesn't matter. Things are different now, Casey. If you would just listen to me."

Casey stepped back. "I don't want to listen to you. You lied to me! You pretended to care when all you cared about was yourself! My mother was right! I'm nothing to you but a threat that needs to be crushed!"

"Casey, you can't listen to that woman, she's-"

"What, a liar?" Casey crossed her arms. "Seems like I'm surrounded by those everywhere I turn."

Casey dropped Regina's spell book on the floor and went to pass Regina, but Regina stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Do not walk out of here, Casey," Regina said through gritted teeth, but even Casey could see the desperation in her eyes.

"Let me go," Casey whispered, tears threatening.

"Not until you let me explain."

"I don't want to hear it!" And then all the anger Casey felt inside manifested itself once again. Regina yanked her hand from Casey's elbow as if she'd been burned, and Casey glanced at her arm quickly enough to see her icy blue skin turn back to its rosy pink. Wide-eyed, Regina stared at Casey, and without another word, Casey turned on her heels and ran.

This time, Regina didn't stop her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Fifteen**

For the second time that day, Casey found herself at the castle by the lake. The sun had set by now, and the cool breeze coming in off the lake was numbing her fingers. Maybe she'd just discovered her own set of ice powers today, but she still felt every bit of the cold. Hadn't Ingrid said the cold didn't bother her? She lived in an ice cave, after all!

Maybe that was something Casey would learn over time.

Her whole life, she'd dreamed of who her parents were, wondered what she might have inherited from them. Had her freckles come from her mother, her knobby knees from her dad, or her curved pinky fingers from a distant grandparent? Now, in the span of only a day, she'd not only discovered who her mother was, but learned she had more in common with her than just some freckles and weird fingers. She had magic, _magic!_ Wasn't it every kid's wish to have powers like the fairies and witches in storybooks?

Well, how was Casey supposed to know about any of that? Thanks to Regina, she'd spent her childhood isolated from happiness and wishing. What did she know about dreams and fantasies?

Regina. Casey still remembered the day Regina took her in. Before Emma broke the curse and everyone was living false lives, Casey was a ward of the church, living among the nuns in Storybrooke. Then there was the day Regina showed up and told the nuns she wanted to take Casey home, take care of her, love her. Even after the curse lifted and Casey remembered her life in the rundown old orphanage, it didn't matter, because Regina had taken her in, still kept her, still made her feel wanted, cared for.

It killed Casey to know it was all a lie. All Casey ever wanted was someone to love her, to be her mother, and the one woman she believed in, the woman who'd been that for her since she was 12 years old, had only done it to protect herself.

So much for dreams.

So much for love.

But then there was Ingrid, and the snapshots of memories from when she was just a baby. That smiling face, that cooing voice, that warm crib. All of it, gentle reminders that she had once been wanted, was once the center of someone's universe. Her real mother had never abandoned her, she'd been snatched away and now, somewhere deep inside the woods, she was there. She'd been unwilling to let her child leave, and yet Casey had run.

Was that where she truly belonged? Was that where the love she so craved resided? Storybrooke saw Ingrid as the enemy; if Casey joined her, would she become the enemy too?

Would it matter?

The wind picked up and whistled through the trees. Her legs were numb, her toes tingled, but she wouldn't go home. Home, what a joke! Where was home anyway? Orphans didn't have homes.

The thought brought tears to her eyes, again. _I'm alone, forever._

"There you are," a voice penetrated her thoughts and Casey looked up, spotting an approaching figure through the darkness. It took a while for Casey's eyes to adjust, but she'd recognize that white jacket anywhere.

It was Snow.

"How'd you know I was here?" Casey asked, clinging to herself for warmth.

Snow smiled as she drew near. "You and Henry have both been coming here for years. I thought it might be the one place you'd feel at home."

That was Snow, so perceptive, so full of understanding. Emma was lucky to have parents like her and Charming.

It wasn't fair.

"Guess I should have picked a better hiding place then," Casey said.

Snow shrugged. "I don't know, maybe there was a part of you that wanted to be found."

"Why would I want that?"

"Because maybe after a day like today, you don't want to be alone," Snow replied, climbing up onto the playground, sitting next to her. "I spoke to Henry and Regina. Sounds like you've had a pretty crazy day."

Casey sighed. "Something like that."

"You know, it might seem like everything has flipped upside down, but not much has changed, if you really think about it."

Casey turned and stared at Snow with wild eyes. "You're kidding right? The woman who's been wrecking havoc on Storybrooke turns out to be my mother, and not only that, but I apparently inherited her evil ice powers, and my whole life, I've been lied to. Oh, and to top it all off, the one person I thought I could trust only took me in to keep me under guard so I wouldn't discover those powers and take her down. _E_ _verything_ ' _s_ different, Snow!"

"Ah, I didn't say nothing was different." Snow grinned at Casey. "I said nothing's changed. Yes, there are a lot of things that are different now, but you're still you. You might have magic, but you're still Casey, the sweet girl I've had the privilege of knowing. You're still Henry's best friend, and you're still important, and loved, by so many people in Storybrooke. Especially Regina."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Please, Regina's not who I thought she was. When she found me as a baby, she dropped me at some stupid orphanage so I wouldn't find out about my magic, because someone with magic like mine could become a powerful enemy. She only took me in when I was 12 to watch me."

"I'm not denying any of that to be true, Casey. You're right, Regina has a shady past, and I'll be the first to admit that. Remember, when she was the evil queen, she wanted me dead. Actually, Charming and I are the reason she cast that curse in the first place. Yes, she was evil, yes, her motives were unpure, but you and Henry...you changed her." Snow touched Casey's hand. "Casey, she's not the same woman she was when she cursed us all. Her heart, well, it's softened. It's becoming good and pure. Even you know she's changed, you've said so yourself. Yes, her motives may have been questionable when you were a baby, or even when we came to Storybrooke, but those aren't her motives now. She really cares about you. And...I think you need to forgive her."

"But...but she-"

"You can't let the past darken your heart to what's truth," Snow said softly. "You're a good girl, Casey, and I know you love Regina just as much as she loves you. I think deep down, you don't believe she's the same woman you saw in that mirror."

Casey was lost for words, all of a sudden. It was like all the racing thoughts that kept her running all day ran out of fuel and halted her in her tracks. Exhaustion settled into her bones, threatening to surrender her to Snow's advice.

Sighing, Casey leaned back against the playground structure. "I just…things will never be the same."

"No, they won't, but you have the choice to make them better."

Casey felt tears stinging her eyes. "I…I don't know what to do, Snow." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her fingers numb to the cold and not from magic, but from the cold itself. Fatigue jellied her bones and she felt like she could curl up and sleep right then and there. How could she think clearly with that much fog in her head?

"You're tired, Casey. And you're _freezing_! Let's go home and get you warm. And then, I think you should talk to Regina," Snow said, playing her mother card. Casey wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, to run away, but everything had caught up to her. She was cold, she was tired, she was spent, and worst of all, she was starting to wonder if Snow was right. She and Henry had seen so much potential, so much change, so much _good_ from Regina this past year. She'd really struggled through it, but she'd done it for Henry, and for Casey.

That had to count for something, didn't it?

Casey still felt angry, confused, hurt, but in that moment of cold and exhaustion, she let herself be led away from the playground by Snow, who wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders to shield her from the cold breeze. Casey didn't know what she was going to say to Regina, or if she wanted to face her at all, but Snow was right – Casey had a choice, and though she didn't know how things were going to turn out, she knew she wanted things to be better.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sixteen**

"Seriously, Casey, one of these days, I'm gonna kill you!"

Though her words were harsh, Emma swallowed Casey in a suffocating hug at the same time. Typical Emma; barely two feet into Snow's and Charming's loft and Casey was getting the third degree.

"Sorry," was all she had energy to mutter as she noticed they weren't the only ones occupying the loft that evening. Elsa, Charming, Hook and Henry were all gathered at the counter, watching on. Casey noticed Regina was missing.

"You're freezing," Emma pointed out, her hands on Casey's bare arms. "Let me grab a hoodie."

Casey awkwardly approached the counter, assuming every single one of them was ticked at her for wasting their whole day looking for her. She waited for the storm cloud of questions about it all: what happened with the Snow Queen, where Casey disappeared to, why she was mad at Regina.

But it didn't come.

It dawned on Casey that Henry might have already filled them all in, and with his kindheartedness and gentle spirit, he probably asked them to take it easy on her. Yeah, that sounded like something Henry would do.

She'd have to thank him later.

Emma came back down the stairs holding one of Casey's hoodies. Casey threw it on, thankful for the warmth after being out in the cold for so long.

"Where's Regina?" Casey asked her brother once she had a cup of Emma's warm cocoa in hand.

"She went home. After you ran out of the vault, she was pretty upset. I know she was trying not to cry, but you could just tell," Henry replied, with those puppy dog eyes that meant he was feeling the weight of all the drama surrounding him. Casey felt for him; he was so tender, felt and carried everything. And for Henry, there was nothing worse than when there was a crack in his family's foundations. When Emma first came to Storybrooke and she and Regina constantly fought over Henry, it devastated him. At least that was over, but now this? Casey knew it couldn't go on forever, not just because of Henry, but because of what Snow said.

" _You can't let the past darken your heart to what's truth… deep down, you don't believe she's the same woman you saw in that mirror._ "

"Did...did she say anything?" Casey asked, her throat tight.

Henry shook his head. "Not really. She just asked me to text her when you got home so she wouldn't worry."

Wouldn't worry. Wasn't that a typical mom thing to do?

Suddenly, Casey felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She'd been so caught up in her own anger and confusion, she never even gave Regina a chance to explain herself. And truth be told, now that Casey was starting to settle, she was seeing things a little differently. In all honesty, if Regina had only kept Casey around to make sure this kid wouldn't thwart her, then she certainly wouldn't need to be nice to her. She could have been the evil guardian, even kept Casey under lock and key, but that wasn't what happened. Sure, those first few months of living with Regina had been rocky, and maybe part of that was because Regina only saw her as a threat, but that didn't last. Regina became a friend, a confidant, the mother Casey never had. She'd given her advice about how to talk to boys, taken her and Henry out for lunch every weekend, held her when she cried about stuff. Why would she bother doing any of that for a kid marked as a potential enemy?

Maybe because somewhere along the way, Regina stopped caring about that.

Maybe Ingrid was wrong; why would Casey listen to a stranger's opinion when she'd known and trusted Regina for three years, anyway?

She jumped down from her stool and grabbed her jacket.

"You've got to be kidding. Where do you think you're going now?" Emma asked, playing the ticked-off mom card. Casey could laugh; sometimes Emma was way overprotective.

"I'm going to Regina's," Casey said, sharing a glance with Snow, who smiled proudly. "I need to talk to her."

Emma sighed. "Okay fine, that's good and you need to and all, but you're not walking over there alone. It's dark, and the Snow Queen's still out there."

"The Snow Queen is my mother," Casey said, crossing her arms. "She wouldn't hurt me."

"Maybe not, but I don't know what state of mind she's in." Emma grabbed her keys off the counter. "I'll drive you."

"Emma, I'll be fine." Casey lifted an eyebrow. "By now you've probably heard I have ice powers of my own."

"Yeah, ice powers you can't control," Emma rebutted. "I'm driving you, end of discussion."

Casey opened her mouth to argue, but Hook stepped in.

"I would listen to her if I was you, love. Swan's quite stubborn and I don't see her backing down anytime soon." Hook flashed a cheeky smile at Emma. "Besides, she's right. After everything that's happened today, it's best if we can keep you safe."

Casey huffed impatiently. "Fine, you can drive me, but I'm capable of defending myself."

"Sure kid." Emma ushered Casey out the door. "Just like you defended yourself when you were kidnapped, what, twice by this crazy chick?"

"Can we not use the word kidnap? She is my mother."

"Did you go with her willingly?"

Casey decided it was better not to argue. Hook was right, Emma wouldn't back down. Besides, technically she was right.

But Casey wasn't exactly going to admit that out loud.

"So, Dairy Queen's your mom." Emma said, killing the silence in the car. "Didn't see that coming."

Casey felt her defenses rising. "Do you have to call her that?"

"Sorry," Emma said. "It's just, I don't know, it must be kinda weird."

"Of course it's weird! Suddenly, I have a mother, and I've inherited her ice powers." Casey sighed. "It's like something out of Henry's storybook."

"I'm guessing this bombshell wasn't in his book."

"Nope. I'm barely mentioned, actually. Probably because Ingrid is from Arendelle, not the Enchanted Forest."

"Ingrid?"

"Yeah, Emma, she has a name. Do you think _Snow Queen_ is on her birth certificate or something?" Casey snapped.

"Hey, kid, easy, okay? I know you're super stressed out and everything, but don't forget who your friends are, okay?" Emma turned over, met Casey's eye. "I'm on your side, here."

"I know, I'm sorry." Casey leaned back, pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling a cool tingling. _Not here, not here, not here. Calm down!_ "I just don't know what to do with all this. It's like, you know, this woman…my mother, well, she's the bad guy, and then there's Regina who's lied all this time, and now there's magic, and...it's too much."

Casey felt tears stabbing her eyes and she hated herself for being such a baby. At least Emma wasn't judging her.

"I get it, kid. Remember before the curse lifted and Henry was desperately trying to get everyone to remember who they really were? He told me who my parents were, and even after the spell lifted and I learned the truth, it took me a forever to believe it, _really_ believe it." She looked over, shared a significant glance with Casey. "When you're an orphan that long, you start believing you'll never know who they are. I think that's part of why it's so hard to believe."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Emma pulled up in front of the mayor's house, _her_ house. Casey's heart lurched to her feet; sure, all of this felt right in theory, but to be alone with Regina after all of this...

What if all the secrets Regina kept from her were for reasons beyond anything she'd learned today?

What if it turned out Regina suddenly decided she needed to destroy this new enemy Casey had become by discovering her magic?

Or worse, what if Regina wouldn't forgive her for believing the worst?

"You want me to come with you?" Emma asked, sensing Casey's hesitation.

 _Yes, yes, yes, yes._

"No, I'd better go alone," Casey said. "I...I think it'll be okay."

Who exactly was she trying to convince anyway?

"Listen, Regina's done some messed up things in the past, but she's a changed woman, okay? Even if she made some awful choices about you, that's not who she is now, okay? She really cares about you, and Henry." Emma managed a small smile. "Sometimes, that's still hard for me to admit, but hey, a kid can't go wrong having too many people loving on them, right?"

Casey smiled. "Henry's pretty lucky."

"Well, it goes for you too, kid." Emma reached over, collected Casey in a quick hug. "Now go talk to Regina."

"Thanks Emma." Casey opened the car door, eased out, but before shutting it, bent down to peek back in. "And, I'm sorry for making you worry."

Emma gave a casual shrug. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make it up to me somehow."


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews and for following this story. Everything that is happening is leading up to the ending, so please be patient :) Casey needs all of this to happen for what's coming, so just keep reading. Also, this story has been finished for a while now, I am simply posting a new chapter everyday, hence the presumed dedication (meanwhile, this took months to write - I have a full time job so writing takes longer). After this chapter, there are two left, and then an Epilogue, so we're getting there. Thanks again!  
_

 **Seventeen**

Casey gave Emma a smile and said goodbye, crossing the street toward the house she'd spent the last few years. Fear threatened to smother her, but she forced herself to calm down. She knew whatever powers were inside of her, they came out when she became too emotional. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally hurt Regina.

Sucking back a deep breath, Casey let herself into the mansion, watching Emma drive away once she stepped over the threshold.

The front entryway was dark, but light was coming from the living room. Casey imagined Regina sitting alone and sipping a glass of wine like she always did when she was upset about something. Everything that happened with Robin Hood had been hard on Regina, and now this. No wonder the woman believed fate was against her.

Well, Casey could at least fix a part of that.

"Regina?"

Casey stepped into the living room and sure enough, there was Regina by the fireplace, nursing a small glass of wine. When she glanced up and saw Casey, she could only stare. Carefully, she placed her glass down on the table and rose to her feet.

"Casey," Regina said, her voice thick with emotion. "What are you doing here?"

Casey swallowed, fighting back tears, fighting back all those doubts and fears. "I…I guess I needed to talk to you."

They stood in a deafening silence for a moment. Casey knew Regina was leaving the ball in her court. After what happened in the vault after Regina had tried to explain, well, she couldn't really blame Regina for keeping her distance.

"I'm…" Casey sucked back a deep breath and let it all out. "I'm sorry for what happened in your vault. I didn't…I didn't mean to hurt you. I can't really control…whatever this is. But, I'm more sorry that I didn't listen to you when you wanted to tell me your side of things. I was just…angry, and everything just feels really upside down right now and I don't know what to think or feel."

Regina managed a small nod. "I know, Casey. I know these last couple of days have been…insightful, I guess. And what you saw in the Mirror, well, I don't exactly blame you for hating me right now."

"I don't hate you," Casey blurted. "I just…it was hard to see, but you…I don't think…"

She didn't know what she was trying to say anymore.

Regina breathed out. "Why don't you sit down?"

Casey did and Regina joined her, leaving a small gap between them. "Look, I have done some really, well, evil things in my lifetime. I'm sure you've heard stories about the Evil Queen, growing up. That was who I was, someone people hated and feared. That kind of power, it goes to your head. And when you're in that deep, the idea that someone could steal it away from you, it's enough to make you sick.

"Then, I found you in the woods, and it was snowing. I'd heard about Ingrid of Arendelle, with her so-called secret ice powers. I was working with Rumpelstiltskin off and on, and he'd told me about her. I never considered her much of a threat, since she was so far away, but then there you were in the woods. I suspected immediately you were her child, though it didn't make any sense. Rumpelstiltskin told me Ingrid had been locked away in a magical urn years ago. I suspected a time vortex was involved somehow, but either way, there you were, with magic I knew was yours. Suddenly, I had a potential enemy, someone who could grow up and develop magic more powerful than mine, and there would go my reign."

Casey shook her head. "I still don't get it. If that was true, then why didn't you just kill me?"

Regina had tears pooling in her eyes. "I never told you this, but around that time, my mother was desperate for me to give birth to an heir, so she tried setting me up with a man to get me pregnant. To spite her, I…I took a potion that forever prevented me from having children. I was heartbroken." She looked up at Casey. "I guess when I found you in the woods, I couldn't see just a threat, but a baby I would never have. Even then, I suppose I had a soft spot after all."

Casey smiled slightly at the idea of Evil Queen Regina, feared by everyone, unable to kill a small child because she so desperately wanted a baby of her own.

But Casey still had questions. "Yesterday, when I asked you about Ingrid being my mother, you told me the snow was trace magic from her, not me. Why did you lie?"

"I didn't tell you because...I was afraid." Regina shrugged sadly. "I was afraid you would hate me, and after what happened with Robin, I didn't want to lose you too."

Casey's gut dropped. There it was, the reason she'd lied, so pure and simple. It wasn't because she was secretly plotting Casey's demise. It wasn't because she was still wanting to keep her under lock and key. It was because she cared; nobody feared losing someone they hated.

This whole thing may be a mess, and maybe Regina was responsible for a lot of damage, in her own life and others, but she wasn't that woman anymore. Henry knew it, Robin had known it, even Emma was warming up to the idea, and she was the most skeptical human being in Storybrooke.

And, truth be told, Casey had known it too; she'd just lost her way.

A thin smile crossed her lips. "You're not gonna lose me, Regina."

Regina lifted an eyebrow. "What, you're not mad? Because, that wasn't the impression I got down in my vault."

Casey smiled. "Yeah, well I was mad then. I guess I'm over it."

Regina waited.

"I'm sorry I freaked out," Casey said, picking at a hangnail.

Regina shuffled over and hesitantly collected Casey in her arms. "It's okay, Case. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. Maybe you wouldn't have gone after her on your own if you had known."

Casey snickered a little. "I probably would have anyway."

Regina smiled. "Well, you have always been a bit on the stubborn side."

Casey leaned in, glad to have Regina on her side again. "The problem is, now that I know all of this, I don't know what to do. I don't know what _she's_ going to do. You should have seen her, Regina. Once she knew who I was, she wouldn't let me leave. She kept saying she couldn't lose me again, and she tried using her magic to block me in."

Regina puckered her brow. "How did you get away, then?"

"Well, that was when I figured out I had magic, I guess. I got angry, and next thing I knew, a blast of cold wind knocked her down and I ran." Casey sighed. "I didn't mean to do it, I couldn't control it, but now that I'm gone, I don't know if she'll come after me or not."

"We'll keep her away from you, if that's what you want," Regina vowed.

"That's the problem," Casey admitted. "I don't know what I want. I mean, she's my... _mother._ My whole life, I wanted to know who she was, and now she's right here, in Storybrooke, but...she's a villain, isn't she?"

Regina shrugged. "I can't believe I'm defending her, but life isn't always as black and white with villains and heroes. Sometimes, people behave a certain way because of a dark past. I don't know anything about Ingrid's motivations, but there may be more going on than we realize. Remember, she lost a child. That sort of thing can break a person."

"But that doesn't make what she did okay!"

"No, it doesn't." Regina met her eye. "But people can change. There can be a second chance, even for villains. I'm the perfect example of that."

"Are you saying I need to give her a chance?"

"Believe me, if I could have it my way, I'd keep you far away from her," Regina said through gritted teeth. "But she's your...your mother. I'll back you up, whatever you decide to do."

Casey nodded, but still wasn't any closer to knowing what to do than she'd been ten minutes ago.

"Tell you what, why don't you sleep on it," Regina suggested, brushing a strand of Casey's hair behind her ear. "You've dealt with more in two days than most people do in their entire lives. By tomorrow, things will seem a bit clearer."

Casey sighed. "I am pretty tired."

"I'll drive you back to Snow's loft," Regina said.

"Actually," Casey moved away so she could meet Regina's eyes. "I was kind of wondering if I could stay. Here."

Casey wasn't sure what to expect. Ever since everything with Robin and Marion went down. Regina had wanted some time, and space, to herself. Henry and Casey were more than understanding, moving into Snow's loft for a little while, even though it was crazy tight with Emma, and now Elsa too. Still, now that Casey was here in the home she'd known for the last few years, finally feeling like things would be okay, somehow, she didn't want to leave. She wanted her bed, her room, and the security of knowing someone she trusted was sleeping in the same house, ready to protect her from anything, should the need arise.

"I know you want your space, because of Robin, but-"

"I'd love it if you stayed." Regina smiled. "I should never have asked you and Henry to stay at Snow's in the first place. It's been, well, it's been too quiet around here."

"You want us to come back?" Casey asked.

"You bet."

Casey launched herself at Regina and as she hugged her, she thought she saw a glimmer of frost forming on the window across the room. Weird; maybe Casey's magic manifested itself in all kinds of different ways. She didn't know how long it would take her to figure out how to control it, how to use it right, but right now, she didn't care. For now, she was surrounded by people who loved her, no matter who her real parents were.

That was enough.


	18. Chapter 18

**Eighteen**

Casey slept in late the next morning and by the time she sauntered into the kitchen, Henry was already there, having breakfast with his mom.

"Morning," he mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes. "Hungry?"

Regina smiled, plopping a fresh batch on a new plate. "They're apple."

"Of course they are." Casey joined Henry at the table, soaking her pancakes in maple syrup while Henry forked up another mouthful. She couldn't help the small smile that crept over her lips; being here, eating pancakes with Henry and Regina, it was normal. For a moment, she could almost forget everything that had happened yesterday.

She was home.

"How'd you sleep?" Regina asked, joining the kids as she sipped a cup of coffee.

"Pretty good, considering," Casey replied with a small smile. "It was nice to be in my own bed again."

Regina returned the smile. "Well, it was nice to have you back. _B_ _oth_ of you. It's been too quiet around here."

"I'm just glad you're feeling better, Mom," Henry said with a grin.

"You guys are what's important to me. I don't need a man to make me happy," Regina replied, but even Casey and Henry knew she didn't fully believe that. Her broken heart was etched all over her face, but neither kid wanted to say anything.

Besides, Regina's cellphone rang at that point, so nobody had to.

"Excuse me a minute." Regina stood. "There's more pancakes on the stove for you guys."

"So, when did you get here?" Casey asked Henry while Regina stepped out to answer her call.

"A couple of hours ago. I came home as soon as Mom called." Henry smiled. "I guess you guys made up."

Casey snickered. "Wow, you're so perceptive, Henry."

"I know, I'm pretty sleuthy."

"Not even a word."

"Anyway, I'm just glad you're not mad at her anymore."

"So am I," Casey replied. "Even though everything is so upside down, at least here, things feel just a bit more normal."

Until Regina darted back into the room.

"We have to go!" she exclaimed.

Henry and Casey exchanged glances.

"Go where?" Casey asked while Henry brought their empty plates to the sink.

"That was Emma. She asked us to meet everyone at Gold's shop." Regina bit her lip. "She said it's got something to do with the Snow Queen."

Casey's stomach knotted as she stared at Regina. Judging by the look on Regina's face, Emma's tone had been serious. Casey bolted for her coat.

* * *

When she, Regina and Henry arrived at Gold's shop, they were obviously the last to arrive. Around Gold's dingy counter stood Emma, Snow, Charming, Hook, Elsa, Gold and Belle. Not a single one of them looked happy. Casey's stomach sank, because when she first walked in, they all looked at her. By now, news must have spread by wildfire. Everyone would know the truth about Casey's parentage.

She tried not to think about it.

"So, what's going on?" Regina asked, getting straight to business. "All you said on the phone was it had something to do with the Snow Queen."

"I'm not sure yet either. We got a call from Belle who told us all to meet here," Emma replied, looking to Belle. "She said she had something to tell us."

All eyes fell on Belle, which, in Casey's opinion, felt a lot better than all eyes on her.

Belle sighed. "Look, it's a long story, but a long time ago, I knew Anna."

Elsa stepped forward. "My sister?"

"Yes. Back in the Enchanted Forest. I'm...I'm ashamed to admit it now but I made a mistake and because of my selfishness, the Snow Queen took Anna. I never knew what happened to her, but when I found out Elsa was looking for her sister, I knew she must still be missing. So, I decided to go confront the Snow Queen myself," Belle explained.

"Seems to be the consensus around here." Emma shot Casey a glare for good measure.

"Not now, Swan." Regina jumped in.

"Let's let Belle finish," Snow chimed.

"Anyway, I brought Rumple with me. We went to the Snow Queen's lair and when I went inside, I didn't find her, but I found something else." Belle shared a glance with Gold, who nodded for her to continue. "There was a mirror, and what it did to me..."

She couldn't go on.

"Something happened to Belle, changing who she was," Gold explained, placing a soft hand on Belle's shoulder. "The mirror made her see the worst in herself, and in me. Thankfully, I was able to get her out of there before the mirror could do any serious damage."

Elsa shook her head. "I don't understand."

At least Casey wasn't the only one.

"I did some research," Belle began. "I think the Snow Queen is going to cast the spell of Shattered Sight, and she's going to use the mirror to do it."

"What's the spell of Shattered Sight?" Hook asked.

"It's based on an old mythical tale. A Nordic King crafted a mirror for his daughter's birthday, but she died and instead, the mirror only reflected the king's misery. The story goes that the king wanted everyone to suffer along with him, so he harnessed some dark magic into the mirror and cast the spell of Shattered Sight." Belle took a breath. "The spell caused the whole kingdom to see the worst in each other. They all turned on each other until everyone in the kingdom was destroyed."

Silence fell upon the room. Casey swallowed; no, she had to be wrong. Casey had seen a completely different side to Ingrid yesterday, a side that showed she could be a good person. She was only a mother who missed her child, wasn't she?

She wasn't so sure anymore.

"So you're saying the Snow Queen is going to cast this spell on Storybrooke?" Charming asked.

"I think so," Belle replied. "It's just a question of when."

"And why." Regina added.

"Ah, I believe I can answer that one," Gold replied with a flick of his finger. "The answer to that lies around Casey's wrist."

All eyes turned back to Casey. There, tied around her wrist, was a simple yellow ribbon.

"What is that?" Elsa asked.

Casey shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't put it there."

She tried to yank it off, but it wouldn't budge. The knot was impossible!

"You'll find that ribbon will not come off so easily, dearie," Gold explained. "It's been placed there, by some deep magic."

"For what?" Henry asked.

"And by who?" Casey asked, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer to that one.

"You see, the Snow Queen was once herself a child. She and her sisters shared a bond that went beyond any kind of magic. All three wore those ribbons as a symbol of their love for one another. That can hold a power beyond any kind of magic," Gold explained.

"So, you're saying the Snow Queen put that ribbon on Casey's wrist," Snow said.

"But why?" Casey wanted to know.

"I think I'm starting to get it," Emma said, her face paling. "She's afraid she'll lose you again."

"What?" Casey's heart skipped a beat.

"Think about it. All this time, she believed you were lost, maybe even dead, and then suddenly, you show up. Everything she's ever dreamed of just walked into her cave," Emma started.

"More like dragged," Regina said with an arched eyebrow.

"Anyway. In her mind, she finally has her daughter back, and then you ran off. Casey, in her mind, she thinks she's lost you again, maybe forever. She sees all of us as a threat to her happiness, the life she envisions for you and her." Emma swallowed. "She's going to use the spell of Shattered Sight to turn us all against each other, but the ribbon..."

"...will protect Casey from the spell," Regina continued, breathing out slowly. "She wants a perfect family with her daughter, and will destroy Storybrooke to get it."

Casey couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That's crazy! Why would she think she's lost me? I wasn't leaving forever, I just needed some time, some space!" She started clawing at the ribbon. "She doesn't have to cast any spell!"

"But she doesn't see it that way," Emma explained. "She's desperate. And desperate people will do whatever they have to to get what they want."

"Well, we have to stop her!" Casey shouted.

"How?" Regina asked. "Once she casts it, what is there to be done?"

"The only way to stop the spell is if…is if the Snow Queen dies," Belle explained.

"So what, we just waltz in there and kill her?" Snow asked, obviously not on board. "Let's not get drastic here."

"Besides, once the spell is cast, none of us will be thinking of killing the Snow Queen," Emma pointed out. "We'll only be focused on destroying each other."

"Except for one important individual," Gold added.

All eyes fell on Casey, again.

She lifted an eyebrow. "What, you want me to kill her!?"

"Not a chance!" Regina exclaimed, staring daggers at Gold.

"Maybe we can stop her before she casts the spell," Snow figured. "We've got to get down to her lair, talk to her."

"And if that doesn't work, kill her," Gold added.

"No one is killing her, okay?" Casey raised her voice. "She's still my mother."

"And she's about to cast the most dangerous curse this town has ever seen!" Emma countered. "Casey, talking to her isn't going to work! She's beyond reason."

"Maybe _you_ talking to her isn't going to work," Casey replied, touching the yellow ribbon around her wrist. "So let me."

Honestly, the looks adults got in their eyes when they disapproved of your choices was so painfully obvious sometimes.

"We're not letting you out of our sight," Emma said with finality. "After what she did, after you said she almost wouldn't let you go? We might never see you again if you go in there!"

"I don't think it's a good idea either, Casey," Elsa added.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea," Regina said, stepping up to Casey, who looked up at her incredulously. Regina, taking her side? This was new!

"Come again?" Emma asked with wild eyes.

"Look, I don't like the idea of sending her to the front lines either, not when…she's as good as my own child, but don't you all understand? This whole spell, she's doing it because of Casey. She thinks she's lost her all over again, and would do anything to have that child back in her arms again, no matter what the cost." Regina sighed, rested a hand on Casey's shoulder. "If Casey can talk to her, maybe she can convince her she hasn't gone anywhere."

Casey swallowed. The last thing she expected was for Regina to take her side, give her her blessing to march into the Snow Queen's presence, especially when she had been so reluctant only yesterday. Still, nobody could deny the truth of it anymore; Casey really was their only chance at preventing this spell from happening.

And they didn't have a second to lose.

"Then we're coming with you," Emma said, after a moment's hesitation.

"No, if she sees me coming with any of you guys, she'll think it's a trap." Casey looked to Regina for affirmation. "I need to go alone."

Regina stared at her, obviously hating to agree, but at this point, nobody in the room could deny it. If anyone else went near the Snow Queen, she'd cast the spell. At least if Casey went, the Snow Queen wouldn't hurt her.

At least, she hoped not. Images of Ingrid's icy cold hands on her temple causing the worst pain imaginable flashed before her. What if she did that again, what if she was angry at Casey for running off yesterday? What if it sent her over the edge?

No, Casey needed to be brave right now; she was the only one who could save Storybrooke.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Casey's right. We're all the enemy; she's going to think we've turned Casey against her." Regina sighed. "Casey needs to go alone."

Casey stopped breathing. Yesterday when she'd left Ingrid's snow lair, she'd needed time to process, think through her emotions, consider everything that had happened. She was no closer than she was yesterday in deciding what she thought or felt about anything, but now she was backed into a corner. The Snow Queen was about to cast a spell that would turn everyone she loved against each other until nobody was left except her and Ingrid. A fake happy ending.

Casey couldn't let it happen.

She had to save Storybrooke.

She flashed a thin smile at Emma. "I guess now I know what kind of weight you carry, being the savior and all."

Emma smiled back. "Kid, you got nothing on me."

Casey chuckled and looked to everyone she'd grown to love – Henry, Regina, Emma, Snow and Charming. "I'll be back."

"Be careful," Regina said, a catch in her throat, and as she collected Casey in her arms, she lowered her voice to a whisper only she could hear. "I can't lose you."

"You won't," Casey whispered back, though her heart was pounding hard. She pulled out of Regina's hug, managed a small smile as she headed for the door.

"It'll be okay," she said. "I'll stop her."


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: This is the last chapter (with epilogue). Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and encouragement. I had a lot of fun with this story. If you liked my writing, be sure to check out my novel, The Lion Cubs (by Chrissy M. Dennis), available on Amazon. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on how "The Snow Queen's Daughter" wrapped up.  
_

 **N** **ineteen**

The air seemed to grow colder the closer Casey inched to Ingrid's lair. She wasn't sure if it was real, or if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. Or maybe it was her own magic, chilling her from the inside. There was so much she had yet to understand about her own powers: how to use them, how to _control_ them, but now wasn't the time. Now, all she could hope for was to keep her emotions in check; so far, her feelings seemed linked to her magic. She'd have to be careful.

But the truth was, she was frightened. Sure, she donned a brave face for all her friends and family back at Gold's shop, a mask to convince them all this was the right thing to do. That hadn't changed; she still believed it was, but now that she was here in the woods, all alone, she suddenly felt like a child needing a hand to hold.

But Casey went on, fingering the yellow bracelet around her wrist. Was Emma right? Was Ingrid really going to cast the spell of Shattering Sight just so she could get Casey back? Was that really all this was about? Because if it was, well, that scared Casey. Was her own mother unstable, or did she just want her daughter back that desperately? How many years had gone by since Gerda trapped her in that urn? How much time had passed before Ingrid stopped crying for her missing baby?

Maybe she never had.

Finally, Casey climbed the last hill toward Ingrid's lair, the ground beneath her becoming ice. There were a few slips and slides along the way, but Casey reached the top. She rubbed her hands together as the frigid air engulfed her. Her cheeks burned from the cold, her muscles tightened, but it was nothing compared to her heavy heart. She was here, the same cave she'd been in just yesterday and inside, was her mother. There was no more denying the truth, no more pretending. Yesterday, Casey was afraid to face it, to accept it, but now, she had no choice. The mother she'd dreamed of meeting her whole life was only steps away, and whether she was a villain, or just a princess from Arendelle, Casey had to see her.

And she had to stop her.

So with a deep breath, Casey stepped into the cave.

Ingrid must not have heard her, because when Casey reached the inner depths of the lair, she found Ingrid staring at a mirror. Casey's stomach dropped; that was the mirror Belle was talking about! Ingrid was going to cast the spell, maybe she was even whispering the incantation right now!

Or was Casey already too late?

 _Please, no!_

Casey took another step into the lair when Ingrid whirled around faster than the speed of light, her hand rising, ready to blast her intruder with a powerful snowstorm. Casey flinched back, waiting for the attack, wondering if she would have time, or the control, to fight back with her own magic.

But Ingrid stopped, let her hand drop. Her eyes glistened as she stared at the girl, but only for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes hardening just as quickly as they'd softened.

Casey's tongue felt like sandpaper, but she found her voice. "Ingrid. Please, you can't cast this spell."

Ingrid arched an eyebrow. "And how do you know about the spell?"

"It doesn't really matter," Casey said silently. "I'm asking you to stop."

"Why don't I venture a guess?" Ingrid circled around her cave, her eyes never leaving Casey's. "They sent you here, didn't they? They filled your head with lies and told you to make me stop."

"No."

"Please, I wasn't born yesterday," Ingrid said with a sneer. "They've brainwashed you against me."

"No, that's not what happened."

"Well, Casey, I'm afraid you're too late. I am going to cast the spell." Ingrid turned back to the mirror, a small tear on her cheek. "It's the only way for us to be together."

"No, it's not." Casey started toward her. "Just listen-"

Quick as lightning, Ingrid flashed her hand toward Casey and icy restraints snaked around her wrists, yanking her down to her knees as she was shackled to the icy floor. Casey pulled against them, even tried calling upon her own magic to break free, but her magic seemed buried too deep to reach.

"Ingrid, please, you don't understand!" Casey pleaded, yanking against her restraints.

"No, you don't understand." Ingrid's voice shook. "Do you have any idea what it's like, after years of wishing, to finally find the child you'd lost hope for? There you were, right in front of me, alive, well, and you were mine again. But…then you ran out on me, and it was just like when I lost you all those years ago. I was devastated, but I thought to myself, no, give her time. She'll figure out what Regina really did, and realize where she truly belongs. She'll come home, to her mother."

Ingrid paced the floor. "But that's not what happened."

She knelt down next to Casey, tears flooding her eyes.

"Even after that Mirror showed you the truth, even after you knew what Regina had done to you, you stayed with _her_! She never saw you as anything more than a threat! She treated you like a monster, never appreciated you for what you are!" A tear trickled down Ingrid's cheek. "Still, you chose her over me."

Casey shook her head. "No, that's not what happened."

Ingrid stood, composing herself as she flicked away a tear or two, as though numbing herself to the pain she felt inside. She stood, and made her way back to the mirror on the wall. "It doesn't matter anymore. Once the spell is cast, everyone who has turned you against me, who would keep you from me, will destroy themselves. Then, we'll be together. I will not…I cannot lose you."

Shaking, she raised her hand to cast the spell.

"You haven't lost me!" Casey cried out, her last desperate attempt to stop her mother from the terror she was about to unleash. Tears erupted from her eyes as she watched on helplessly. "I'm right here!"

Ingrid turned and looked at her, more tears pooling her own eyes. "You're only here to save _them!_ "

"Yeah, you're right, but that's not the only reason I came back." Casey breathed out. No holding back anymore. "Look, I was scared, okay? I ran out because I was _scared_! Maybe that makes me a baby, I don't know, but…I didn't know what else to do! My whole life, I just assumed my mother didn't want me, or she was dead. I never thought..." She swallowed the catch in her throat. "It was just...a lot to take in. But I never...it didn't mean I wasn't coming back."

Ingrid waited, watched on with uncertainty. Casey choked back her tears.

"Those people, everyone in Storybrooke, I care about them. And yeah, Regina made some huge mistakes, but she's different now. She took care of me, cares _about_ me. I get it, she should have told me the truth, but I forgive her. Those people, Regina, Henry, Emma, everyone, they've been like family to me, especially when I thought I didn't have any." Casey wished she could swipe her tears away. "But you're my mother. My whole life, I've wished for this moment, and...I want you to be a part of my life too."

Ingrid stared at her daughter, tears filling her own eyes and her lip trembling as she listened.

"You don't have to cast any spell for us to be a family. I'm not going anywhere. I… want to be your daughter," Casey said. "But…I can't lose them either."

Ingrid turned away, stared hard into the mirror, hesitating.

"Please," Casey pleaded. "Don't do it."

"Don't you see? This is the only way I know we'll be together." Ingrid said with a catch in her throat, kneeling down in front of her daughter with tears in her eyes. "Everything I've ever loved has been stolen from me. I can't lose you again!"

She reached out and brushed a hair from Casey's face. When Ingrid's cool fingers touched Casey's cheek, a flash burst in Casey's mind.

A memory.

Ingrid was cradling her, smiling down at her warmly, watching her with an adoration only a mother could have. As she rocked Casey softly, she sang:

 _The sky is dark and the hills are white_

 _As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night;_

 _And this is the song the storm-king sings,_

 _As over the world his cloak he flings:_

 _"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"_

 _He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:_

 _"Sleep, little one, sleep."_

Casey lifted her head and met Ingrid's eyes. "You loved me."

Ingrid swallowed. "What?"

"I just remembered you singing to me, but it's not just that, I-" A tear trickled down Casey's cheek. "I remember how I felt. I remember…feeling loved."

Ingrid could no longer contain her tears; as they flowed, she nodded. "I did love you. I do. More than anything."

Casey no longer felt the icy restraints around her wrists. At some point, the chains had broken, but she didn't care; nothing could move her now.

"I used to dream that somewhere out there, I had a mother who loved me," Casey said, her voice squeaking as she cried. "I didn't think I'd ever get to meet her."

Ingrid smiled, her body trembling as her own sobs shook her. "I'm right here, baby."

She held open her arms and without a moment's hesitation, Casey flew into them, clinging like the world would end. She wasn't thinking about the spell, or about Regina or Emma or anyone else in Storybrooke; all that mattered was this moment, a moment she'd waited for her whole life but doubted she'd ever have.

Casey cried in Ingrid's arms, feeling her mother's own tears drip down her neck. This was the villain Storybrooke had come to fear, and yet she was only a mother who'd one day lost her child, for what she believed was forever. There was nothing sinister about her, not here in her arms. She was the mother from Casey's memories, the same woman she'd been all those years ago.

Ingrid held Casey at arms' length and smiled warmly. "This is what I wanted. I…I just saw no other way. I feared I'd lost you again, after you went to Regina's and…well, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you a second time; I thought the spell was the only way to bring you back to me."

Casey shook her head. "But I can have you both. It's true, I love Regina; she's taken care of me and been there for me. But you're my mother, and I want to know you better. I…I don't want to have to choose between you."

Ingrid swallowed, stared hard at her daughter, as though committing her to memory. "When I was trapped in that urn, I would spend much of my time imagining what kind of person my child would become. I've done so much wrong in my life, lost everything that ever mattered to me, but I held out hope, believing my daughter was out there somewhere." She dabbed at her eyes. "And you're here, right here with me. I see the goodness in you, and…believe it or not, I was that person once, and will be again, for you. I would do anything for you, Lyra…Casey. You're my daughter, and I won't make you choose."

Casey smiled and in seconds, she was in her mother's arms again. Though she didn't know it at the time, the icy exterior around Storybrooke was slowly melting in that moment, just like the ice around Ingrid's heart. Mother and daughter were reunited at last, and in the depths of that icy lair, a dry eye could not be found.

 **Epilogue**

It took a bit of time and some serious convincing on Casey's part, but the people of Storybrooke decided to give Ingrid a chance. Regina, ironically, was the most sympathetic. After all, she was all too familiar with how it felt to be shunned when you were trying to step out of your villain shoes. As mayor, Regina issued Ingrid a new house and even a job at the ice cream parlor.

Before too long, Elsa, along with her sister Anna who had mysteriously washed up on a Storybrooke shore with her fiancee, Kristoff (that was a long story on its own), decided it was time to return to Arendelle, their home. Elsa vowed to restore the memories of Helga and Ingrid to the land of Arendelle with the help of the rock trolls, but then the issue arose of whether or not Ingrid would step into her rightful place as queen of Arendelle. In the end, Ingrid abdicated, saying Elsa was a wonderful queen and was doing a fine job already. Besides, Ingrid was eager to start her life with Casey here in Storybrooke.

Some more time passed, and Casey eventually moved in with Ingrid, finally beginning the life she had always dreamed of. Ingrid had quickly moved away from the Snow Queen exterior, and became more and more like the mother of Casey's memories.

Ingrid walked her to school most mornings, helped her with her homework, and Casey helped her become more and more acquainted with the non-magical realm. There was a lot to catch up on; Ingrid had missed many milestones, and Casey knew nothing of her family heritage. Over hot chocolate and popcorn, Casey would listen to her mother share stories of Arendelle; of balls, and knights, and beautiful gowns, but the stories she loved most of all were the ones Ingrid shared about her sisters – Helga and Gerda, and the adventures the three of them had together.

At first, Regina had a hard time letting Casey go, but she soon realized Casey moving in with her mother didn't mean she had lost her in any sense. Casey was a regular visitor to Regina's and still referred to her as her "second mom." If anything, Casey and Regina's relationship had grown stronger as a result.

If Henry could have two moms, why couldn't Casey?

Over time, Ingrid taught Casey to control her own powers and soon, Casey was able to do wondrous things she never dreamed possible. But in all honesty, that wasn't important to Casey, not really. Sure, it was pretty cool and hey, if any more villains wandered into Storybrooke, she could help defeat them now, but having magical powers was the last thing on Casey's mind these days. She was surrounded by people who loved her. Emma, Snow and Charming were always there for her, Emma with her stubborn overprotectiveness, Snow and Charming with their wisdom and advice. Henry was still like a brother to Casey, and Regina another mother. Maybe some would see her life as odd, with a Snow Queen for a mother, and an Evil Queen as a close second, but to Casey, it was like something of a fairy tale ending.

And that was what she'd always dreamed of.

 **The End.**


End file.
